Jun 21, 2018
34,000kg adulterated tea worth Rs 70 lakh seized
CHENNAI: In one of its biggest hauls ever, food safety officials seized around 34,000kg of tea adulterated with synthetic colours from a godown in Arumbakkam on Wednesday.
Based on a tip, a team led by R Kathiravan, designated food safety officer, conducted a surprise inspection at BR Tea Company on Senthil Nagar Street, Arumbakkam. Workers were found sitting hunched over the floor, packing low-grade tea leaves mixed with artificial colours.
While 33,291kg of adulterated tea was packed in gunny bags and plastic, 750kg was mixed and kept on the floor. Officials estimate the entire seizure is worth ?70lakh. In addition, they also seized 300kg of tartrazine, carmoisine and sunset yellow –artificial colours that are permitted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in certain types of food that are not consumed on daily basis. “For every kilo of tea leaves, they had added more than 10 grams of these colours,” said Kathiravan.
For the last three months the unit had been under the department’s scanner. “Our inspector had found traces of artificial colours on the shop’s floor when he inspected the facility to renew its license. But we didn’t have concrete proof it was being mixed with the tea,” said Kathiravan. On Wednesday, officials got the breakthrough when a local alerted them.
On interrogation, the proprietor, who operated out of a three-storey complex, revealed that a majority of his clients was tea shop owners across the city. The colours, he said, were sourced from units in Coimbatore. He sold at least 2,000kg of adulterated tea a day. According to the food safety department’s records, there are around 3,000 registered tea shops in Chennai. Officials have lifted samples of tea and adulterants for lab tests. “Once the results are out we will lodge a complaint and initiate action against the owner,” said Kathiravan.
On Tuesday, officials had seized 1,500kg of adulterated tea from a warehouse in Ayanavaram. Workers were found manually mixing tea leaves with artificial colours.
FSSAI permits only eight synthetic colours to be added to specific foods. However, studies have shown that if consumed on a prolonged basis, these could cause cancer, nervous disorders, toxicity or heart diseases as they stay in the body for more than a month. According to the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011, the quantity of colour should be a milligram or less for a kg of food.
Food safety experts and dietitians say artificial colours, especially those that lend orange, yellow and red hues, are added to tea leaves that are damaged during manufacturing process or are of inferior quality to improve their appearance and price. “One drop or a pinch of a chemical gives more colour than natural ingredients. It helps them hike the cost of an inferior product,” said dietitian Mini Joseph.
Food poisoning incidents: Officials suspect foul play
Thiruvananthapuram: The food safety department is suspecting foul play over the continuing incidents of food poisoning in GV Raja Sports School, Mylam. In order to rule out the angle, the department has decided to approach sports department to demand for a police inquiry into the issue.
The food safety department has suspended licence of the school’s kitchen on Tuesday night. Subsequently, the school announced leave for all students and suspended all functions until further notice.
Food safety commissioner M G Rajamanickam said that the department was suspecting foul play as cases of food poisoning occurred multiple times in the past years during June-July period. “The mess has been awarded to private parties on contract basis. We are not sure whether the food poisoning incidents happen due to some foul play. In order to clear the suspicion, we feel a police inquiry is necessary,” said Rajamanickam.
Rajamanickam said he would write to sports secretary to direct a police inquiry to clear the suspicion over the incident. The GV Raja Sports School comes under the sports department.
Around 58 students from boys’ and girls’ hostels took treatment from district hospital, Peroorkada over complaints of stomach pain, diarrhoea and vomiting on Sunday night.
The food safety commissioner said that mystery over the issue deepened after food safety officials visited the school kitchen. “In previous years when the food poisoning incidents were reported, the facilities were poor. However, based on the department’s direction, the kitchen was renovated. So we have to find out the reason behind food poisoning,” he said.
Though the department could not take samples of the food that caused poisoning due to late reporting of the issue, it has taken samples of water for testing, the result of which is expected on Thursday.
The food safety department has not taken a decision on when the licence of the kitchen could be renewed. Being a residential school, it could not function if the hostels remain closed.
“As it is a government sports school, we cannot keep the school’s kitchen closed for a continuous period. We are awaiting a lab report of water samples. If the school authorities come up with a satisfactory report of remedial steps, we will consider opening it. We will also explore possibilities whether the contract of running the kitchen could be given to a trusted agency like Kudumbashree,” Rajamanickam said.
Despite repeated attempts to contact school authorities, no one picked up phone at GV Raja School.
Jun 20, 2018
Food poisoning in GV Raja School
Thiruvananthapuram: As many as 58 students of GV Raja Sports School, Mylam, took treatment from district hospital Peroorkkada, following food poisoning.
As many as 29 inmates of the boys’ hostel and the same number of students from the girls’ hostel were taken to hospital on Monday night after they complained of stomach pain, diarrhea and vomiting. Except for two girls, who are under observation, all others were discharged on Tuesday.
Sources in food safety department said that they received information about food poisoning only on tuesday morning. So, the officials could not collect samples of the food given to the students. Sources said that students had chapatti and chicken curry for dinner and they complained of uneasiness by night. The students were taken to hospital by around 10.30 pm.
Food safety officials took samples of leftover food such as rice, rasam and also flour, chilli powder, rice, packaged fruit juice etc for a lab test. Sources in the department said kitchen of the hostel will be temporarily closed.
Food poisoning cases were reported in the school in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Food safety officials point to lack of hygiene as the major reason for food safety issues .
Authorities of GV Raja Sports School could not be reached despite repeated attempts.
Officials seize expired soft drinks bottles from godowns
Coimbatore: Food Safety Department officials raided three godowns in the city and seized expired soft drinks bottles and packets kept among saleable stocks on Tuesday. Besides, it cracked down on shops selling products without proper labels.
In the three godowns — two in Thaneerpandhal and one in Vadavalli, officials found 240 expired Miranda bottles and 400 expired Minute Maid tetra packs. “The distributor in Vadavalli stored the Miranda bottles that were expired about month ago. Not many people know that soft drinks have an expiry date,” said designated food safety officer Dr Vijayalalithambigai.
“The distributor claimed that the bottles were to be returned to the manufacturer to get a refund, but they were stored among saleable products,” he added.
Similarly, another distributor at Peelamedu kept 400 Minute Maid tetra packs which were two weeks beyond their expiry date. “He too claimed they were to be returned to the manufacturer, but he did not keep them in a separate section,” said Vijayalalithambigai.
Meanwhile, food safety officers raided 32 shops across Gandhipuram and Pollachi and found six kilograms of snacks packets without labels that were meant for sale. “They did not have labels stating details about ingredients, manufacturing and expiry dates,” said the designated food safety officer.
Earlier on Monday, FSOs raided 52 shops, including bakeries and street vendors, and issued notices to 11 shops for not registering under the FSSAI Act. “We also cracked down on shops using newspapers to serve their products, plastic to cover fruits and for using colouring agents in their food,” said the DFO.
Court fines two for supplying milk without licence
CHANDIGARH: The Chandigarh district court on Monday made two persons stand till the rising of court and also imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 each on them for supplying milk without a valid licence.
The court of chief judicial magistrate convicted dairy owner Avtar Singh and his employee Karam Raj, who were challaned by a food inspector during a drive.
The matter dates back to November 15, 2016, when a food safety officer did a surprise checking of Milk Colony and found Karam Raj supplying milk in a maxi truck .When the food safety officer asked for the licence to supply milk, Karam Raj expressed his inability to do the same. The accused further informed the officer that he worked at Chawla Dairy and was supplyong milk from there. Later, the food an safety officer prepared a spot memo and challaned both accused for selling the aforesaid food articles for human consumption without having a valid license under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006.
It was argued by the accused that that they had been falsely implicated and no sample was taken during the time of inspection. However, the prosecution stated that the accused were challaned for sale of food articles without having food license and there was no requirement for taking sample of the food article as sought to be contended by defence counsel. After hearing arguments from both sides, the court convicted the two accused and made him stand till the rising of court.
Ramnad folk told to use portal to test water quality
Madurai: The Ramanathapuram district administration has said that the public can ensure the quality of packaged water that they purchase by utilizing the website https:/safewaterfssai.gov.in//cleanwater/home.
District Collector S Natarajan said that the food safety department had launched the website to enable the public to check the quality of the packaged water that they purchased in their homes. Public could log on to the website, and if they entered the I.S.I number or the FSSAI number displayed on the water can or packet in the given slot, the details of the packaging firm would appear on the screen. Important details including water quality testing report of the concerned firm for six months to one year, the validity of the I.S.I and FSSAI number would be revealed.
Any grievance about packaged drinking water could also be informed using the WhatsApp number 94440 42322. The manufacture and expiry date of the packaged drinking water must be displayed clearly on the plastic sleeve of the bottle or packet in which the water is kept. The date of manufacture has to be laser-printed on the plastic sleeve of the bottle and protected with a plastic seal.
Designated officer for food safety, Dr M Jagadish Chandrabose, said that it was very important that people were aware of the quality of water they were consuming.
Jun 19, 2018
Majority of wayside eateries in Kochi are in unhygienic conditions
Kochi is witnessing a rise in wayside eateries but the majority of them function in unhygienic conditions.
KOCHI: When it comes to taste, street food has little competition. The piping hot dosas, spicy chicken curry and tasty kappa can leave you wanting more. But before you drool over these delicious dishes, give a thought about its hygiene or the apparent lack of it.
With the onset of monsoon, the already unhygienic conditions in which most ‘thattukadas’ function have worsened, thanks to overflowing drains infested with rats. The rise in the number of food poisoning cases attests to the fact that despite Kochi embarking on development mode, the state of roadside eateries remain the same.
Many people, including late night professionals, rely on wayside eateries due to its working hours and cheap rates. “Since we moved to Kochi, we rely on eateries in the city. However, a dinner of dosa and chutney from a wayside eatery at Kacheripady left me with a severe stomach ache and vomiting. I had to rush to the hospital, upon which the doctor confirmed that it was a result of food poisoning,” said Vinitha S, a professional. Like her, many who are forced to eat from such eateries are served a raw deal.
“The authorities take actions against such unhygienic food outlets only when someone gets admitted in hospitals,” she said.
No registration
Due to a huge demand, wayside eateries mushroom on every nook and cranny in the city and the majority of them function without the Corporation licence.While allegations are rife that the authorities are doing nothing, they say inspections and raids are being carried out. “With rainy season setting in, we have started procedures to ensure that the roadside eateries maintain hygiene. Last month, we conducted checks at food outlets near High Court Junction and Boat Jetty. Several shops were found without registration,” said Food Safety Officer, Ernakulam Division, Dileep P B.
He added that the Food Safety Authority has given a week’s time for shops without proper registration to get the necessary clearance and if they fail to do so, action will be taken against them.“We are doing everything possible. The hygiene of the food outlets near roadsides is of utmost importance. Random samples will be collected from shops for inspection,” added Dileep. The Corporation has also ensured strict action. “Those who suffered food poisoning must report to the Corporation giving the details of the shop and the area,” said Health Standing Committee chairperson Minimol V K.
Reusing oil and unclean water
One main advantage of wayside eateries is that the food made is sold out soon but the same can’t be said about oil. “The oil is reused many times before disposing of. Not just the oil, even the ingredients can be harmful, like food colours and other chemicals. Since the food is served hot, the taste is masked. But, the damage is done,” says Vishal Chandra, a chef.
Besides, there is also a rampant use of undercooked meat and water from unclean sources. “In most case, it is the use of contaminated drinking water that causes food poisoning. The cleanliness of people who serve it is also important. Many may not be aware of this, but people with typhoid can transmit it to others through their hands and mugs used to wash,” said Dr Stephen George, a practitioner at Kolencherry.
Notices served on 11 shops
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Monday served notices on 11 shops for various irregularities such as failure to obtain FSSAI license, adulteration of food, storage of rotten fruits and vegetables and other unhygienic practices.
The shops have been asked to rectify the irregularities within 15 days.
The irregularities were found during inspections conducted in 52 shops, restaurants, fruit stalls, bakeries and warehouses located in New Siddhapudur, Avarampalayam and Ganapathy on Monday.
The exercise was conducted as part of FSSAI's campaign for safe food in Coimbatore city.
Eight water plants slapped with closure notices
Surat: The food and safety department officials of the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Monday raided factories selling packaged drinking water in the city and slapped closure notices on eight of them.
Those given immediate closure notice include Him Water Beverages, Healthy Water, Visat Beverages, Citizen Water, Raja Water, Radhika Beverages, Neer Water and Sunrise Beverages. The notices were slapped for not possessing the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and food safety certificates.
A few days ago, 22 such plants were given closure notices by SMC. These steps are taken following complaints of consumption of contaminated water leading to number of water-borne diseases.
According to an official from food and safety department of SMC, there are nearly 60-65 such small plants operating in the city.
“Till now they used to sell water pouches in huge quantity. However, with the ban on selling water in plastic water pouches, majority of them are selling 20 litre packaged water, which they call mineral water. Nearly 40 of them possess official license to sell. Others have been closed now,” a food inspector of SMC said.
Each of these plants sell at least 5,000 litres of such packaged water and SMC does check their quality in periodic manner.
Jun 18, 2018
Ten Gurudwaras in Delhi implement FSSAI food safety guidelines for Langars
The stricter set of food safety standards and hygiene have been put in place at all the 10 Gurudwaras where around one lakh devotees partake Langar, said Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh.
Ten Gurudwaras in the national capital including the historical Bangla Sahib Gurudwara have implemented the food safety and hygiene standards set by food regulator FSSAI. The stricter set of food safety standards and hygiene have been put in place at all the 10 Gurudwaras where around one lakh devotees partake Langar, said Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated Project BHOG (Blissful Hygienic Offering to God) to encourage all places of worship in the country to adopt and maintain food safety and hygiene in the preparation of Prasad.
The project was among the Safe and Nutritious Food (SNF) bouquet of initiatives launched by the country’s apex food regulator last year. “DSGMC has surpassed the stringent targets set by Union Ministry of Health under FSSAI’s project BHOG to ensure that Sikh Sangat (visiting devotees) are served safe, hygienic and nutritious prasad at all the ten historic historic gurudwaras managed by it in national capital,” Singh claimed.
Around one Lakh devotees partake Prasad (Guru Ka Langar) in these Gurdwaras on week days and the number rises more than five Lakhs on weekend and festive occasions, he said. The management committee has set up food safety and hygiene standards for the community kitchens preparing Langar and Prasad with rules related with procurement of ingredients like ghee, vegetables, milk and grains.
Desi ghee and edible oils purchased by the committee for use in Langar are standardised and tested for purity in government labs. Payment to suppliers is made only after the lab reports are obtained, he said.
Vegetables are directly procured from Azadpur Mandi to ensure freshness and nutritional contents, while fortified staple items rice, flour and milk are procured to make prasad nutritious and wholesome, he said. Reverse osmosis (RO) plants have been set up to provide clean water for cooking to prevent contamination of food.
Apart from materials used, the training and adoption of hygienic practices by the food handlers is being closely monitored, Singh said.
All regular employees engaged in Langar kitchen are required to wear aprons, gloves and head covers. Certain items like chapatis are prepared using standard equipment without being touched by food handlers. All Langar premises are cleaned twice a day to ensure proper sanitation and hygiene standards, he said.
The management committee is in regular touch with civic agencies to ensure strict adherence to guidelines and directives for hygienic maintenance of Langar places. A non-profit group has been engaged by the committee for regular training and updating of the Langar employees and food handlers in matters relating to food safety and hygiene standards, Singh said. Workshops and training sessions are organised for the food handlers and vendors in Gurudwaras to sensitise them about the need for food safety regulations and health hygiene, he added.
Delhi Gurdwaras to set stringent food standards
The objective is to provide homely food to thousands of urban poor who depend on these langars to satiate themselves
NEW DELHI: Community kitchens in ten major gurdwaras in Delhi are set to make healthy food accessible to everyone through a stricter set of safety standards, hygiene, quality and flavours.
These kitchens, also popularly known as langars operate on principles rooted in bringing people together and advocating good health through nutritional food, said Manjit Singh G.K., President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) today.
He said that the DSGMC has surpassed the stringent targets set by Union Ministry of Health under FSSAI project BHOG (Blissful and Hygienic Offering to God) to ensure that the Sikh Sangat (visiting devotees) is served safe, hygienic and nutritious food from the kitchen (Guru ka Langar) and prasad at all gurdwaras managed by it in Delhi.
Project BHOG was among the Safe and Nutritious Food (SNF) bouquet of initiatives launched by the country's apex food regulator last year.
Around 100,000 (one lakh) devotees take the Prasad (Guru Ka Langar) at DSGMC-controlled gurdwaras on week days, while over the weekend, it is more than 500,000(five lakhs). Festivals like Holi, Baishakhi and Gurpurb also see huge crowds at community kitchens.
The Prasad consists usually of chapatis, dal, sabzi and kheer, which are served at regular intervals.
The objective is to provide homely food to thousands of urban poor who depend on these langars to satiate themselves.
Manjit Singh GK said that the gurdwara management committee has put in place food safety standards and hygiene maintenance. Ingredients are standardised and tested for purity at government laboratories before use in cooking.
He said vegetables are directly procured from the wholesale Azadpur Mandi to ensure freshness. Employees engaged in langars are required to wear yellow aprons, gloves and turbans.
Manjit Singh GK said all langars are cleaned twice a day. Each langar building has marbled floors and proper ventilation to ensure a healthy environment.
"Anyone and everyone can work in these kitchen. In fact, volunteers do more work than the staff in preparing meals. The only rule that one has to adhere to is serve with clean hands," he said.
Wastage like flowers, food ,fruits are taken away in large trolleys and deposited with the civic bodies, he said, adding that DSGMC keeps in regular touch with civic agencies and observes guidelines for maintaining cleanliness, hygiene and purity.
He said workshops and training sessions are organised at regular intervals to sensitize staff and volunteers about the need for observing food safety regulations and health hygiene in gurdwara community kitchens.
Jun 15, 2018
6,000kg fish preserved in formalin returned to Hyderabad
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is an alarming increase in the quantity of fish sold in the state that has been preserved using formalin, a toxic chemical. In the latest instance, the food safety department seized and returned 6,000kg sardines brought to Edappazhanji fish market in Thiruvananthapuramfrom Hyderabad after they tested positive for high formalin content .
The seizure was made during the wee hours of Sunday and the truck was returned from the check post at Amaravila on Monday.
The samples have been sent to the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) for detailed examination.
"There has been a rise in the use of formalin in the fish brought from other states. The food safety department has been undertaking routine and random inspections at the check-posts. The public has also been advised to inform food safety officials if they suspect the presence of additives in the fish they buy," food safety commissioner M G Rajamanickam said.
In another incident, the department returned another consignment of about 500kg fish brought from Tuticorin, which was found to be rotten and preserved in formalin.
Also, in some of the recent incidents, samples collected from Kaduthuruthy, Ettumannoor, Kottayam and Kanjirappally had tested positive for formalin, and the cases have been sent for prosecution.
As part of a project titled Sagar Rani, the department had collected samples from many parts of the state, and several of them tested positive for formalin.
Food safety officials said the state had been witnessing an influx of fish from Karnataka, Andhra, Goa and Tamil Nadu in large quantities via Manjeshwaram, Walayar and Amaravila check posts.
"Some of the consignments were visibly rotten, but these were being sold after mixing them with fresh fish, especially in rural areas," Rajamanickam said.
The department has been gearing up for a more intense drive by increasing its random sample collection in fish markets across the state.
But the department has also been facing the problem of lack of space to scientifically dispose of such fish.
FSAT upholds judgment of Adjudicating Officers
Jammu Tawi, Jun 14
In a landmark Judgment announced by the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal, Jammu under Food Safety & Standards Act,2006 , the Court has upheld the judgments pronounced by Adjudicating Officers of District Samba and Udhampur in the Cases titled Food Safety Officer Samba V/s Fill industries Ltd SIDCO, Electronic Complex Rangreth-Srinagar & Others, Food Safety Officer Udhampur V/S M/s Sarveshwar Organic Food Ltd-Jammu wherein a fine of Rs Five Lacs Fifty Thousand have been imposed on the accused parties.
The Cases were pleaded by Adv Chowdhary Mohammad Ayoub who appeared for the Department before the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal Jammu. It is pertinent to mention here that during last year; 1921 statutory samples of various food articles were lifted from Jammu Province wherein 564 samples were found in contravention of FSSA.
Accordingly, Legal action was initiated against the defaulter companies. Out of which 497 cases have been decided and fine amounting to Rs 45,14,600 have been imposed on the violators.
Remove and REPLACE – because even small quantities of trans fat in the diet cause big damage to health
The use of artificial ‘trans fat’ in edible oils imperils health. New WHO guidelines advocate for a return to better-known, traditionally used alternatives.
On 14 May, the World Health Organisation called on all countries to make the world free of trans fats by 2023. A number of countries have already accomplished this, including a range of middle and lower income countries worldwide that have heavily restricted or eliminated trans fats altogether.
They do so with good reason.
Industrially produced trans fats are artificial compounds formed by ‘partial hydrogenation of edible oils’ that are harmful when consumed, even at low levels. In the South-East Asia Region, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVOs) are the primary source of trans fats in food items.
Commercial food production, particularly with regard to bakery products such as biscuits and pastries, uses high amounts of PHVOs, thus increasing the risk of trans fat consumption. Changing food patterns and the popularity of processed foods is likely to increase trans fat intake. Likewise, high levels of trans fat have also been found elsewhere, especially in food produced by informal vendors. Trans fats dramatically increase the risk of heart attack.
Replacing oils containing high trans fats with healthier options will have no impact on the taste or availability of food, and will dramatically advance health and wellbeing. It will also help achieve WHO South-East Asia’s regional target and Flagship Priority of reducing noncommunicable diseases by one-fourth by 2025, and then by one-third by 2030, as per the Sustainable Development Goal targets.
Mustard, sunflower, rapeseed (canola), ground nut, and soya based oils are all healthier alternatives. These crops are valuable, efficient and in high demand. Importantly, the increased growth, production and use of these crops will enhance the health and wellbeing of people and align the region with the global drive to restrict trans fats and save millions of lives at virtually no cost to government or consumers.
To that end, WHO’s six step REPLACE action package – launched last week in Geneva – provides all countries with proven tools to completely eliminate trans fats from their national food supply and counter increasingly changing food patterns. At present, 90% of people around the world – about 6.5 billion – are exposed to these artery clogging substances, with little to no government support or alternatives offerred. WHO’s REPLACE package aims to accelerate restrictions on trans fat products via an easy six step process. Each of these steps can be readily embraced, implemented and enforced, with game changing effect.
First is reviewing dietary sources of trans fats and the landscape required for policy change. Second is promoting the replacement of trans fats with healthier fats and oils. Third is legislating or enacting regulatory actions to eliminate trans fats. Fourth is assessing and monitoring trans fat content in the food supply and changes in trans fat consumption in the population. Fifth is creating awareness of the negative health impact of trans fats among policymakers, producers, suppliers and the public. And sixth is enforcing compliance with policies and regulations.
If implemented effectively, the WHO REPLACE package will ensure prompt, complete and sustained elimination of trans fats from the world’s food supply, thereby driving down demand. That is a good that will give many times over, saving billions of dollars in both developed and developing economies, and slashing the rate of premature deaths worldwide. But making that happen requires more than goodwill; it requires a willingness to act, and to do so decisively.
WHO’s new guidelines provide the opportunity and incentive to replace oils high in trans fats regionwide with locally made, healthy alternatives. That opportunity should be grasped, and a return to better known, traditional alternatives embraced.
The writer is Regional Director WHO South-East Asia Region
Jun 14, 2018
Artificially ripened banana seized
THENI
Artificially ripened banana weighing around one tonne was seized from the Allinagaram daily market and destroyed here on Wednesday.
Led by Food Safety Officer Dr. J. Suguna, a team of Food Safety Department officials conducted a raid around 5.30 a.m. They found that six shops were selling artificially ripened banana. The seized the fruits worth ₹25,000 and destroyed them.
Three sprayers used for spraying chemicals on the fruits to ripen them were also seized, she added.
Dr. Suguna said that she received a tip off that chemicals were sprayed on fruits and chemical sprayed and artificially ripened fruits were on display for sale at weekly and daily markets in Theni, Periyakulam, Cumbum, Bodi and Chinmanaur. To lodge any complaint, the public may contact mobile 94440-42322 for immediate action, she advised.
CSE calls for more stringent Food Safety norms
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has called for making the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018 more effective and stringent. The draft Regulations had been released for comments by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in April, 2018. They mandate compulsory labelling of salt and introduction of front-of-pack labelling.
CSE has submitted its recommendations to the FSSAI to ensure a robust labelling framework in India.
“A strict labelling law is very important to combat obesity and non-communicable diseases plaguing our country. Though this draft Regulation is a good beginning, it also has major gaps that need to be plugged to make it effective,” said Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general, CSE.
One of the significant gaps that CSE has pointed out is that the draft Regulation does not provide for labelling of crucial aspects like added sugar and dietary fibres. “Public health and nutrition experts recommend that it is best to avoid added sugar in food items. It can be measured and controlled and therefore, must be labelled. Also, dietary fibre is a key beneficial component of our diet and must also be labelled. This will help consumers make informed and healthy food choices,” said Amit Khurana, programme director, food safety and toxins unit, CSE.
The draft Regulation merely states that HFSS (high in fat, sugar or salt) food products shall not be advertised to children in any form. CSE researchers point out that this is not enough. “Children are key consumers of HFSS food items and the burden of childhood obesity is rising. The FSSAI needs to adopt a detailed framework to regulate advertisement of HFSS foods. Celebrities should not be allowed to endorse them and there should be no advertisement of certain food categories such as soft drinks. Broadcasting regulations should be developed to limit the exposure of children to food advertisements during prime time programmes,” said Sonam Taneja, programme manager, food safety and toxins unit, CSE.
The draft Regulation emphasises on providing nutrition information for each serving of a food item. It also lays down that consumers should be made aware of the contribution of each serving to one’s daily quota of salt, sugar or fat. However, it does not standardise serving sizes. “Determination of serving sizes has been left to the industry -- this is a big loophole. We have seen that the food industry often claims very small serving sizes which are far from the reality and manipulates food labels. Serving sizes must be set by the FSSAI based on how much is customarily consumed by people in the Indian scenario,” said Bhushan.
The draft Regulation introduces labelling of genetically modified (GM) food. The FSSAI has been under the scanner for presence of GM food in India by way of import and otherwise.
CSE has recommended that through the Regulation, the FSSAI must aim to regulate illegal GM food in India and should set a stricter bar for exemption from GM labelling -- the bar set in the draft Regulations is very weak. “The FSSAI has a crucial role in ensuring food safety and a strong labelling regulation is a must to fulfil this mandate,” added Bhushan.
Do not allow ads for soft drinks: CSE
Research organisation gives suggestions to food safety authority on draft regulations
“Children are key consumers of food items that are high in fat, sugar and salt, which is leading to a rise in childhood obesity. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India needs to adopt a detailed framework to regulate ads of these items,” said a release issued by the Centre for Science and Environment.
The CSE also called for making the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018, more effective and stringent.
The draft regulations had been released for comments by the FSSAI in April. The regulations mandate compulsory labelling of salt and introduction of front-of-pack labelling.
“A strict labelling law is important to combat obesity and non-communicable diseases plaguing our country. The draft regulations is a good beginning, but it has major gaps that need to be plugged to make it effective,” said Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general, CSE.
‘Significant gaps’
One of the significant gaps that CSE has pointed out is that the draft regulations does not provide for labelling of crucial aspects like added sugar and dietary fibres.
“Public health and nutrition experts recommend that it is best to avoid added sugar in food items. It can be measured and controlled and therefore must be labelled. Also, dietary fibre is a key beneficial component of our diet and must also be labelled. This will help consumers make informed and healthy food choices,” said Amit Khurana, programme director (food safety and toxins unit), CSE.
The draft regulations state that HFSS (high in fat, sugar or salt) food items shall not be advertised to kids in any form. The CSE, however, said that this is not enough.
“Celebrities should not be allowed to endorse these food item and there should be no ads of certain food categories such as soft drinks. Broadcasting regulations should be developed to limit exposure of kids to food ads during TV prime-time,” said Sonam Taneja, programme manager (food safety and toxins unit), CSE.
The draft regulations emphasise on providing nutrition information for each serving of a food item. It also lays down rules that consumers should be made aware of the contribution of each serving to one’s daily quota of salt, sugar or fat.
However, it does not standardise serving sizes. “Determination of serving sizes has been left to the industry, this is a big loophole. We have seen that the food industry often claims very small serving sizes, which are far from reality, and manipulates food labels. Serving sizes must be set by the FSSAI, based on how much is customarily consumed by people in the context of India,” said Mr. Bhushan.
Get free insects on your plate when you order food in Telangana
Thanks to local politicians, vendors continue to violate hygiene norms; shortage of food inspectors a hindrance
A view of vendors serving food in unhygienic conditions in Karimnagar and Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: Hyderabadis are not new to hidden surprises in food ordered from their favourite roadside eateries or even posh high-scale restaurants. Foodies, playing a treasure hunt on their plates, have spotted dead insects, cockroaches, house flies and even rats over the years. While some cases are brought to light, thereby alerting other patrons about the ‘extra hidden nutrition’ they are served, others choose to keep mum.
Even recently, a high-scale sandwich shop in Punjagutta —a global brand that advises people to eat fresh—was found serving fresh and live cockroaches marinated in their cool drinks and meatball whoppers. The situation is no different, rather worse, at unlicensed roadside eateries and tiffin centres. Though many patrons of these hole-in-the-wall eateries proudly claim taste is inversely proportional to hygiene, a glance inside the cooking area is enough to shock the strongest hearts.
Common patrons of the roadside food, apart from homo sapiens that is, are ants, cockroaches, rats and bandicoots. Unlike us beings, these little ones tend to fall inside the cooking utensils, food or serving plates while devouring their meal. Eatery owners, cooks or workers —who are not new to these uninvited guests —often remove them and serve the food. On an off chance, they land in the plates or mouths of patrons.
Now there are countless eateries dotting the city, and GHMC officials are racking their brains wondering how they can monitor all of them. “Many establishments go unchecked as we are pressed with other key issues, including sanitation, issuing of birth and death certificates, and other administration works,” says a GHMC official.
Call up GHMC to file complaint
If citizens find the food they are served is unhygienic, they can file a complaint at GHMC call centre by dialling on 040-21111111. Citizens can also complain of violations like non-supply of clean water, stale food, use of banned plastic covers to the civic body.
Warangal
Plates are never sterilised
Though Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation(GWMC) health wing officials claim that they conduct inspections on a regular basis and impose fine on those serving stale foods, the ground reality is different. Most of the kitchens of small restaurants and tiffin centres are poorly maintained, the water used to clean plates and dishes are of poor quality. Many eateries are run in unhygienic conditions. A large number of them do not sterilise serving plates and glasses. Meanwhile, GWMC health officer Dr Raja Reddy claimed that the corporation has been conducting inspections regularly and imposing fines on erring establishments.
Mahbubnagar
No full-time food inspector
Despite vendors flouting food standards regularly, Mahbubnagar authorities have not been able to take any action against them. Reason: the district doesn’t have full-time food inspector. The undivided Mahbubnagar district includes Mahbubnagar, Wanaparthy , Nagarkurnool and Jogulamba Gadwal municipalities. Most of commercial establishments in the districts have been using sub-standard pulses and grains to prepare the food. Consumers, who shell out a huge amount of money at these food joints, often do fall ill. When Express brought the issue to the notice of Mahbubnagar municipal commissioner Surender shrugged away the blame saying that it was not his responsibility.
Are authorities doing enough?
Authorities claim that as they receive complaints, the corporation ensures that Assistant Medical Officer of Health (AMOHs) and food inspectors swing into action, inspect the place and slap fines on owners under relevant acts if necessary. However, as the officials charge paltry amounts as fines, it doesn’t serve as a strong deterrent for the violators.
According to rules, hotels and restaurants should procure food licenses under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act. However, many hotels and restaurants operate without licenses in the city. Express found that many of them are strongly influenced by local political leaders and corporators who ensure the violators are never brought to the books.
Khammam
Vendors bribe authorities
Although hundreds of tiffin centres have been set up in Khammam, lack of monitoring in these centres have led to a dip in its quality and thus, inviting diseases. These tiffin centres, most of which do not have any permission from Municipal authorities, often serve food with insects. In fact, on Wednesday a person found a cockroach in a veg biryani platter at a food court on Wyra Road in the town. When the customer asked hotel management, they allegedly tried attacking him. One, K Madhav, an employee at a private firm alleged that the handlers of the tiffin centres bribed municipal officials to not check the quality of the food.
Sangareddy
Hotels serve rotten meat
Lack of monitoring by municipal sanitation inspector and food safety officials give hoteliers a leeway to flout food standards on a daily basis. Hotels in Sangareddy, Siddipet, Medak, Ramayampet, Gajwel, Zahirabad, Patancheru, RC Puram and other towns in united the Medak districts do not maintain minimum cleanliness. Hotels don’t use quality vegetables and store meat for weeks in cold storage. Locals allege that hotels have been serving rotten meat to customers. Meanwhile, officials cite shortage of staff as one of the key reasons for not conducting regular checks. There are only nine food safety inspectors for 31 districts in the State.
Karimnagar
Shortage of staff looms large
Bonagiri Srinivas, an employee of DRDA, went to a hotel opposite police headquarters in the district. When Srinivas ordered a vegetable biryani, hotel management served a foul-smelling leftover soup. A miffed Srinivas tried calling a food inspector to complain regarding the issue. It was then that he learnt that there was no food inspector available in the erstwhile Karimnagar district. In fact, he also learnt that the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar does not have a special wing to cheque hygiene levels of hotels and restaurants. Rajendrantha, the Food Inspector of Warangal district, serves as the in-charge food inspector for the erstwhile Karimnagar.
Effective labels for food items recommended
The draft laws state high in fat, sugar or salt food products “shall not be advertised to kids in any form”, the CSE said.
New Delhi: A Delhi-based green body on Wednesday said it has submitted recommendations to FSSAI on the draft regulations on labelling released by the food regulator, urging it to make the norms “effective and stringent”.
In April, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a draft of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018 and sought comments from stakeholders.
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in a statement said that the draft has “major gaps” and called for making it “effective and stringent”. The CSE said it has submitted recommendations to FSSAI to “ensure a labelling framework in the country”.
CSE deputy director general C. Bhushan said: “A strict labelling law is important to combat obesity and non-communicable diseases plaguing our country. Though this draft directives are a good beginning, it has major gaps that need to be plugged to make it effective.” One of the “gaps” the CSE said the draft “dosen’t provide for labelling of crucial aspects such as added sugar and dietary fibres”.
CSE programme director (food, safety and toxins) A. Khurana said: “Health and nutrition experts recommend it is best to avoid added sugar in food items. It can be measured and controlled and hence must be labelled. Also, dietary fibre is a key beneficial component of our diet and must be labelled. This will help consumers make informed and healthy food choices.”
The draft laws state high in fat, sugar or salt food products “shall not be advertised to kids in any form”, the CSE said. CSE programme manager S. Taneja said: “Kids are consumers of HFSS items. With many kids becoming obese, the FSSAI must adopt to regulate ads of HFSS foods.”
Jun 13, 2018
2 in dock for illegal sale of ice-cream
Chandigarh: The Chandigarh district court made two persons stand till rising of the court and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 each on them for preparing and selling ice-cream without a valid license.
The court of the chief judicial magistrate convicted the two persons, Bhupinder Sharma and Mehta Ram Sharma, who were challaned by the food inspector.
On April 7, 2017 food safety officer Bhaljinder Singh inspected the premises of Satnam Ice Cream at Manimajra, Chandigarh, where Bhupinder Sharma was preparing and selling ice cream on behalf of Mehta Ram Sharma, without a food license for human consumption and public sale. The officer prepared the spot memo and challaned the accused for selling food articles for human consumption without a food license under Section 26 (2) (iii) and 31(1) of the Food Safety & Standards Act 2006, punishable under Section 63 of the Act.
The defence argued that the duo had been implicated and no sample was taken at the time of inspection.
However, the prosecution said there was no requirement to take a sample of the food articles as the rules had been violated right at the outset of the venture.
After hearing the arguments, the court convicted both and made them stand till rising of the court.
Food safety officials collect samples to check adulteration
The team was comprised of Manoj Khosla, Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety, Nawanshahr, and Sangeeta Sehdev, food safety officer. Amit Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, said the Food Safety Department has been directed to hold special campaign to implement Food Safety and Standards Act in the district to check adulteration in food products and artificial ripening of fruits.
Food safety officials on Monday told the residents about rampant artificial ripening of fruits. ARTIFICIAL RIPENING OF FRUITS
Consumption of artificially-ripened fruits can cause mouth ulcers, gastric ulcers, nervous breakdown and cancer. To ensure the supply of quality fruits to the public, a special drive has been initiated to check the quality of fruits on the directions of the state government.
Jun 12, 2018
‘85 per cent adulteration in loose edible oil’
Research by Consumer Voice, one of the leading consumer organisations in India, has confirmed adulteration up to 85 per cent in loose edible oil sold across 15 states in India.
KOCHI: Research by Consumer Voice, one of the leading consumer organisations in India, has confirmed adulteration up to 85 per cent in loose edible oil sold across 15 states in India. The study further revealed that the adulteration was found in eight major varieties namely mustard, sesame, coconut, sunflower, palmolein, soybean, groundnut and cottonseed oil.
The study highlighted that in the samples tested coconut oil was the most adulterated with 85 per cent adulteration. Results of tests done on cottonseed oil, sesame oil, mustard oil were no better with 74.07 per cent, 74 per cent and 71.77 per cent adulteration found respectively, a press release said quoting the study.
The laboratory tests were conducted by Consumer Voice, a voluntary consumer organization which works in the interest of consumer education and advocating consumer rights, at National Accreditation Board of Testing and Calibration Laboratories. With the sample size of 1,015, the loose edible oils for the research was taken from 15 prime Indian states, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to name a few. The oils were tested on the grounds of both quality and safety parameters, standards established by FSSAI.
Not only do adulterated oils cause allergies and increase cholesterol, but they are also known to be a cause of deadly diseases such as cancer, paralysis, liver damage and cardiac arrest. Even the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales Regulations 2011), has banned the selling, buying and distribution of edible oil in the loose form, yet in the country it is being bought and sold.
Commenting on the research Ashim Sanyal, chief operating officer of the Consumer Voice, said, “The tests were conducted as an initiative to educate the consumers and make them conscious of the adulteration present in the loose oil currently available in the market. As for the government, it is our sincere appeal to take immediate contingency measures to stop the sales of loose edible oil, and punish the offenders.”
FSDA to keep check on ‘adulteration’ of food items
As temperatures in Meerut continue to rise and shelf life of food decreases in this summer season, the Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) will be conducting drives to check adulteration of food. It should be noted that shelf life of food decreases during summers, locals tend to fall prey to poor quality of food and then fall ill.
“We are set to conduct an anti-adulteration drive in the district wherein we will take suspected food samples and send them for checking in our Lucknow laboratory. As the city’s temperatures are on a rise, chances of spoiled food being sold increase,” said Archana Dheeran, designated officer of FSDA, Meerut unit.
Customers can file complaints related to food adulteration with the department, also on condition of anonymity, said FSDA authorities.
Also, if any city resident is apprehensive about a certain food item, he or she can send it for testing to the food department personally and if the sample is found adulterated, a complaint can be filed immediately. The sample may be submitted by depositing Rs 1,000 and if found adulterated, a complaint can be filed with FSDA officials, who will take further action on it.
“A team of officials has been made, which will conduct anti-adulteration drive in the district,” said Dheeran.
'Clean' street food hubs to come up in state
As part of food security measures, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to permit 'Clean' street food hubs, under food security regulations, at strategic public spots in towns and cities including Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.
“The hubs will be set at Juhu and Goregaon in Mumbai, at Sarasbaug in Pune and at Phutala Talao in Nagpur,” Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, FDA, Girish Bapat said on the occasion of 'World Food Security Day'. Besides this, two food testing labs will be procured at a cost of Rs 10 crore each.
He said that road-side eateries will also be brought under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and awareness will be created among vendors to ensure that they take all precautions, including selection of hygienic ingredients to prepare the food articles. Most of the states have already began spreading the message of 'health food'. Similarly, Maharashtra too will now spread this message across the state, including its villages.
As per the agreement between Maharashtra FDA and Coca-Cola, nearly 1,200 street-food vendors in Pune were recently given training on the aspect of safe and nutritious food, enabling them to improve the quality of their offering. This initiative was a part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Coca-Cola to train 50,000 street food vendors across India over the next three years under the 'Clean Street Food' project.
As part of this initiative, Coca-Cola India is closely working with the FDA in upgrading the eating out experience for the local populace. While Coca-Cola India is responsible for the program execution through its network of trainers, the FDA will ensure the relevance of the training content and shall oversee the overall delivery.
Also, machinery for fortification of food, including milk, maida, salt, vitamins, etc. will be set up in the state, Bapat said, adding, “Food fortification or enrichment is the process of adding micro-nutrients to food. Although generally it is a purely commercial choice to provide extra nutrients in a food, basically it is a public health policy which aims to reduce the number of people with dietary deficiencies.”
Meanwhile, the FDA has begun a drive to register and issue licenses to vendors. They include fruit, vegetable, coconut water vendor, egg, chicken, meat and fish sellers, pani-puri seller, soda, wine and beer shops, canteens in school, colleges and other public places, hotels, and restaurants, to name a few. So far, over 1 lakh local market shopkeepers and vendors have a food safety registration or license.
Food sellers who have a turnover of more than Rs 12 lakh need to compulsorily have a food license. If the turnover is less than Rs 12 lakh, they need to register with the FDA. As per the Section 31 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, if the food vendor does not register, he can be punished for six months in jail, with a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh. Manufacturers and distributors too are supposed to sell food products only to those who have a registration or license. If they sell food products to vendors who are not registered, they can be fined up to Rs 2 lakh.
FDA Joint Commissioner (Food), Shailesh Adhav, said, “Notices have been served to vendors and shopkeepers. They will be given some time. If they fail to have a license even after that, we will take strict action against the erring vendors.”
Jun 11, 2018
10 tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes seized in Dindigul
Madurai: Food safety officials from Dindigul district seized 10 tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes and destroyed them. The mangoes worth Rs 5 lakh were found during the raids conducted at various godowns around Palani.
The surprise raid was conducted late on Saturday night at Ayakudi village and its surroundings, based on a complaint. Officials said that at least eight godowns were found to ripen mangoes using carbide stones and spraying chemicals.
The raid was conducted by a team lead by the designated officer for food safety, Dindigul district, Natarajan. The official also warned other traders in the locality with severe action, if they continue this illegal practice. The officials said that mangoes are produced in a large-scale in and around Palani and the variety of mangoes grown here are sent to various cities.
Officials said that common symptoms of artificially ripened mangoes were stomach upset, ulcer and vomiting. Those who are allergic to chemicals may get skin problems like rashes and itching. They also warned that in rare cases, it can also cause cancer. They advised public to be careful while choosing mangoes. One can identify an artificially ripened mango once it is sliced. When the outer surface is ripened well compared to the inner part, it is an indication of artificial ripening, they said.
No, khaini not on ban wagon in Bihar
Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Sunday clarified that they have not written any letter to the Center to facilitate introducing a ban on khaini, consumption of which causes a number of serious ailments.
Pandey said they are against the consumption of gutkha and khaini, found to be the major causes of mouth cancer, but have not asked the Centre for its prohibition.
The Health Minister further appealed to the people of the state to stop the consumption of gutkha and khaini.
According to a recent media report, the state government wrote to the Union Health Ministry, urging it to notify khaini as a food product. Upon notification, the state government can ban the product on health grounds.
According to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act, any food product which has the presence of tobacco and nicotine in it, has to be banned.
Two years earlier, the Bihar government had banned the sale and consumption of liquor in the state.
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