‘Refined oils are totally safe for cooking’

Scientists and nutritionists dispel the myths doing rounds on social media platforms

In the wake of misleading messages doing rounds on social media platforms about refined vegetable oils, Scientific Panel on Oils and Fats at Foods Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has said that refined oils are totally safe to use as cooking oil.

Chairperson of the Scientific Panel on Oils and Fats (FSSAI) R.B.N. Prasad said the FSSAI recognised several oils for cooking purpose and a majority of these oils required refining. Because the oil obtained either from expellers or solvent extraction plant would contain some impurities which adversely affect the safety, flavour, odour and appearance of oil, they are required to be removed for making the oil edible and for ensuring long shelf life.

He was speaking at a seminar on ‘Edible Oils – Myths and Facts’ organised by Indian Consumer Federation attended by scientists, nutritionists and the industry body Solvent Extractors Association and consumers here on Tuesday.

Refining advised

Some of the oils like groundnut oil, sesame, coconut oil, mustard oil and safflower oil, which were extracted using expelling technique could be consumed without refining. However in some cases these oils were also affected by ‘aflatoxin’ during harvesting. Thus it was advisable to refine these oils before consumption.

Several oils like sunflower, palm, soyabean, cottonseed and rice bran, among others, were required to be sold only as refined oils as these oils were produced by solvent extraction process and they may contain solvent residues. The refining process was done as per the guidelines issued by FSSAI and most of the nutritional components were retained during refining, he said.

Dietary requirement

Former director of National Institute of Nutrition Kalpagam Polasa said as per ICMR dietary guidelines the total dietary fat intake was 30% of total energy intake per day. This 30% of the total daily energy intake should come from dietary sources of oils and fats. If an individual consumed 2,000 Kcal of energy per day, then 30% or 600 Kcal (equal to 65 grams) should come from total fat (visible plus invisible intake). So 30 g of visible oils was necessary to be consumed per day.

On which cooking oil is good, she said each cooking oil had its own merits and demerits. If some oils like coconut oil have saturated fatty acids more, that could be easily metabolised, others have mono unsaturated fatty acids that help lowering LDL cholesterol. Thus a combination of oils could be selected and consumed to get required proportion of all kinds of fatty acids. However, it was safe to buy packed edible oils as loose oils could be adulterated.

FSSAI Bans Use of Newspapers, Recycled Plastic to Wrap Food

On finding that packaging materal can cause contamination in food products, the Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all Food Business Operators to stop using recycled plastic, newspaper and paper sheets to wrap food.

The FSSAI conducted two studies to check the presence of chemical contamination and heavy metals in food, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), Mumbai, and the National Test House (NTH), Kolkata. Following this, the FSSAI issued a notification regulating food packaging norms.

"Besides, general and specific requirement with respect to packaging materials, the regulations also prescribe overall migration and specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic packaging materials" FSSAI wrote in its press release.

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New food packaging norms by regulator

Soon, eateries will be fined if found wrapping food products using newspaper, recycled plastic

The Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all Food Business Operator (FBO) not to wrap food products using recycled plastics, newspaper and paper sheets.

The move was taken after the results of two studies conducted by FSSAI which noted the presence of chemical contamination and heavy metals from packing materials into food. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• New rules will come into effect after July 1, 2019
• FSSAI has amended all existing provisions in respect to packing requirements
• This was after 2 studies noted presence of chemical contamination and heavy metals in packaging materials

The Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), the apex food regulator in India, has regulated food packaging norms after they found contamination in food products through its packaging material. They have directed all Food Business Operator (FBO) not to wrap food products using recycled plastics, newspaper and paper sheets.

This is the latest direction to all FBOs by the apex food regulator. The move is taken after the results of two studies conducted by FSSAI which noted the presence of chemical contamination and heavy metals from packing materials into food.

The study was done in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), Mumbai and the National Test House (NTH), Kolkata.

In the recent notification, the Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has amended all existing provisions with respect to packing requirements prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.

Pawan Agarwal, CEO of FSSAI told Mail Today, "We have given time to all FBOs till July 1, 2019 to gear up for the new packaging guidelines. The greater safety concern is for food packaging material by unorganised sector or loose packing. These regulations prohibit packaging materials made of recycled plastics, including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food."

About 380 food samples were collected from unorgansied sector and 13.4 per cent of overall contamination was found in food articles. Out of which, 51 samples were found with heavy metal contaminant such as plastic pouches, lid container, bottle, Al Foil etc.

Food testing lab inaugurated in Vijayawada

Institute of Preventive Medicine medical director Dr P Manjari inaugurating Annoor Envirochem and Food Analytical Laboratory in Vijayawada on Monday

Vijayawada: It is the responsibility of one to know the quality of the foods one takes in everyday life, said Institute of Preventive Medicine medical director Dr P Manjari.

She participated as the chief guest at the inaugural programme of ‘Annoor Envirochem and Food Analytical Laboratory’ at Siddhartha College of Pharmaceutical Science. The lab is the first of its kind in the state.

Speaking on the occasion, Manjari said that the manufacturers of food and soft drinks should follow the food safety Act and get the products tested as per the act.

Annoor Envirochem and Food Analytical Laboratory has accreditation from the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).

Excess food colour, preservative, pesticide remains, nutrition values, mineral water, drinking water can be tested at the lab. 

Lab MD Sk Ansar said that tests were done under expert’s supervision. For the food test, people used to go all the way to Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad and now they can get the tests done here at Vijayawada, he said.

Popular noodles brand has lead in it

The company also misled the consumers by alleged unfair trade practices, false labelling and misleading advertisements.

The Supreme Court of India on January 3, vacated its stay on the Centre's 2015 action seeking damages of Rs6.4 billion (Dh338,057,043) from Nestle India limited - the manufacturer of Maggi noodles - for alleged unfair trade practices, false labelling and misleading advertisements.

The class action is rooted in the case of alleged high lead content and presence of MSG (monosodium glutamate) in Nestle's popular Maggi instant noodles.

The bench headed by Justice D.Y. Chandrachud today vacated the stay of the proceedings before the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) that were stayed way back in 2015 as the top court then was seized of the matter.

While vacating the stay on the proceedings on the class action by the Centre seeking damages of Rs640 crores, the court said the report of the Mysuru-based Central Food Technological Research Institute where the samples of Maggi noodles were tested would form the basis of the proceedings.

The court asked the Centre, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Nestle and others to argue before the NCDRC whether the consumers were misled by the company as contended by the Centre in its class action.

The Supreme Court had in 2015 put on hold proceedings before the NCDRC after Nestle moved the top court challenging the commission's order directing the testing of 16 samples of Meggi noodles to ascertain their safety for consumption.

The NCDRC had ordered the testing of the Maggie noodles in the course of the hearing of the Central government's class action against Nestle India, the manufacturer of Maggi noodles, seeking Rs6.4 billion in damages for alleged unfair trade practices, false labelling and misleading advertisements.

The Commission had directed that out of withdrawn stocks of Maggi noodles in the custody of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (of which 100 batch numbers were randomly noted by the local commissioner) 16 samples be sent for testing for presence of lead in any form and of MSG, including their quantity in the samples at the Export Inspection Council of India, Chennai.

Appearing for Nestle, senior counsel Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "The lead content was found to be within permissible limit and there is some amount of lead in lot of products."

Senior counsel told the court that the Mysuru-based Central Food Technological Research Institute has given the finding that the noodles contained lead "within permissible limits".

However, the Centre contended that the main issue in the class action was not whether noodles were harmful or not, but the company misled the consumers by alleged unfair trade practices, false labelling and misleading advertisements.

How much lead in your food can harm you?

After the Supreme Court revived the action suit against Nestle, the company's lawyers admitted to the presence of lead in the popular instant noodles. Do you know how much lead in your food can harm you?

The Supreme Court on Thursday revived the action suit against Nestle by NCDR by questioning the lead content in the popular Maggi noodles. The lawyers representing Nestle admitted to the presence of lead in the FMCG product. However, they argued that the lead content in the noodles was within permissible limits. Let's take a look at what is lead poisoning and how much lead in your food can harm you.

What is lead poisoning?

Lead, a highly toxic metal, is a very strong poison. Lead poisoning is a serious condition which can sometimes be fatal. It causes severe mental and physical impairment. Young children are most vulnerable to it as their brains and nervous systems are in the developing stage.

Though no amount of lead in the blood is safe, it is known that lead level as low as 5 micrograms per deciliter can lead to health problems in children.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

Lead poisoning usually builds up slowly. Hence, lead toxicity follows repeated exposures to small quantities of lead. 

According to Healthline, some of the symptoms of lead toxicity in adults are abdominal pain, abdominal cramps, aggressive behavious, sleep problems, constipation, irritability, headaches, loss of appetite, fatigue, memory loss and anemia among others.

In children, symptoms can be identified in the form of intellectual disability. For example, a child having behaviour problems, low IQ, poor grades at school, growth delays, etc.

Emergency symptoms in case of a high toxic dose of lead can be severe abdominal pain and cramping, vomiting, muscle weakness, seizures and coma. Lead poisoning can be diagnosed with a blood lead test.

Samples of jaggery, milk taken in Ambala

Ambala, January 5

A team of drug and food administration on Saturday took a sample of jaggery from Khurshid Gur Kolhu at Khudda Kalan in Ambala. The team had taken four samples of jaggery, two samples of milk, and some other food items on Friday.

While the samples of jaggery were taken from Dhiman Cane Crusher, Avsed Ali Gur Kohlu, Bansal Cane Crusher, and Shiv Shakti Cane Crusher in Nohni village of Ambala, the milk samples were taken from a milk vendor, Naresh Kumar, and Lucky Dairy in Saha block.

Besides these, samples of atta noodle, chocolate pastry, and guava juice were taken from different shops on Friday on the basis of complaints received.

Food Safety Officer (FSO) Subhash Chander said, “The consumption of jaggery and products made from it increases manifold in winters and to ensure that only good quality jaggery is provided to the customers, the samples have been taken. All samples will be sent to the food laboratory in Karnal for analysis.”

On the other hand, two milk samples, out of eight, taken from dairies and milk vendors in December have been found to be substandard. The FSO said, “Two samples — one was taken from a milk vendor, who belongs to Lohal Simbli, Rajpura, and another sample from Ambala cantonment — have been found to be substandard. The SNF (solids-not-fat) content was not found adequate in the milk. The fat content was adequate. More raids will be conducted in the coming days to check adulteration in milk.”

Health Minister Anil Vij said chemicals were used in jaggery making, hence directions had been issued to the Food Safety Officers across the state to take samples of jaggery and get these tested in a laboratory.

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விக்கிரவாண்டியில் பிளாஸ்டிக் பறிமுதல்

விக்கிரவாண்டி: விக்கிரவாண்டி பேரூராட்சி சார்பில் கடைவீதியில் அதிகாரிகள் பிளாஸ்டிக் பைகளை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.தமிழக அரசு, கடந்த 1ம் தேதி முதல் 14 வகையான பிளாஸ்டிக் பொருட்களுக்கு தடை விதித்துள்ளது. அதனையொட்டி விக்கிரவாண்டி பகுதியில் உள்ள கடைகளில், பேரூராட்சி செயல் அலுவலர் வெற்றியரசு தலைமையில், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் இளங்கோவன் உள்ளிட்ட அதிகாரிகள் குழுவினர் ஆய்வு செய்து, தடை செய்த பிளாஸ்டிக் பொருட்களை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.

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No food, opt premium train riders

Nestle ad campaign says Magi is Safe after SC revives Rs.640 cr. case

Food officials seize 2,300kg adulterated jaggery

Erode: Food safety officials conducted a surprise raid at a jaggery shandy at Chithode here on Saturday and seized 2,300kg adulterated jaggery.

Designated district food safety officer T Kalaivani said the searched was conducted based on a tip that the shandy was using chemicals such as sodium hydrogen sulphate, calcium oxide, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, super phosphate and alum to make the jaggery, besides mixing sugar to enrich its sweetness. According to her, jaggery manufacturers usually mix hydrogen sulphate to whiten the jaggery.

She said samples would be send to the government testing lab in Chennai to ascertain the presence of chemicals in the jaggery. “Strict action will be initiated based on the lab test report.”

Read menu card, curb appetite

There is a proposal to make it mandatory for restaurants to declare calorie counts of food

If you knew that the masala dosa you are relishing contained nearly 1,030 calories, would you reach out for that second helping? A recent study has demonstrated that the brain makes “sensible food choices” when calorie information is available on the menu card.

Read and eat

The study, published in the PLOS One, a peer-reviewed science journal, says seeing pictures of food with calorie information not only makes food less appetising but may also change the way our brain responds to food. When food images appeared with the calorie content, the brain showed decreased activation of the reward system and increased activation in the control system.

In other words, says the study, foods that you might otherwise be inclined to eat became less desirable once the calorie content was displayed.

For the study, 42 undergraduate students at the Dartmouth University, United States, were split into dieting and non-dieting groups. For the analysis their brain activity was measured while shown pictures of food with and without calorie information. They were then asked to rate their desire to eat the food.

The researchers observed that the self-reported desire to eat the food decreased when the subjects were shown pictures of food with calorie information.

However, nutritionists in India have mixed reactions to the applicability of this study to India. Those critical say that poor awareness about measuring calories and the “desire and longing for food” make it hard to implement in Indian restaurants

Lack of awareness

Dr. Rebecca Kuriyan Raj, Head, Nutrition and Lifestyle Clinic, St John’s Medical College Hospital, Bengaluru, says people are not aware of how many calories they are consuming every time they eat out. “Restaurant food is high in calories and most of the time, one can get more than half the requirement of the daily calories in a single meal of masala dosa, sambar and chutney, which is about 1023.7 calories,” she reckons.

Dr. Raj, was one of the authors of a multi-centre study that aimed to measure the calorie content of frequently ordered meals from sit-down and fast-food restaurants in five countries — India, Brazil, China, Finland and Ghana — and compare values with U.S. data. This study, published last month in the British Medical Journal, found variability in the amount of calories across restaurants because of differences in portion sizes and energy density (amount of calories for a given weight or volume).

She says, “The support of government-led initiatives to introduce mandatory calorie labelling in menus in restaurants, cafes and takeaway combined with significant efforts by the restaurants to reduce portion size, calories and sugar in the meals could help individuals to make sensible food choices.”

However, Veena Shatrugna, former Deputy Director of the Hyderbad-based National Institute of Nutrition (NIN), says calorie labelling on menu cards may not work in India given poor calorie literacy. “Even if the labelling is done, how many of us will bother to read it or keep daily counts?” she points out. “Individual response to calorie labelling is based on many factors including desire and longing for new processed foods introduced into the market every day. It will be really difficult to standardise responses across class and caste at this stage. We need to debate these issues. We also need more research on an ideal diet for Indians, vegetarians and non-vegetarians.”

Draft regulations

But calorie-counts in restaurants are on the government’s mind. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a Union Health Ministry body, has issued draft packaging and labelling regulations making it mandatory for restaurant chains to declare on the menu cards, the calorie counts of all the dishes served at their outlets. It also intends to bring online food-delivery platforms and food aggregators under the ambit of these regulations.

FSSAI Chief Executive Director Pawan Kumar Agarwal says the organisation has been discussing these regulations with the restaurant-industry for over a year: “We had earlier urged restaurant companies to start printing calorie counts on their menu cards voluntarily… We are committed to enforce the rules.”

However, the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI) says this is not achievable in any serviced restaurant. FHRAI Vice President Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, argues that the calorie count for the same dish could vary dramatically due to various factors such as recipes and ingredients: “While the preparation of every food item changes with every chef, restaurants usually customise recipes to suit the choice of their customers,” says Kohli, who also heads the Hotels and Restaurants Association Western India. While one customer may want his food to be prepared in olive oil, the other would want an extra topping of cheese. While the thought process is good, printing calorie counts on the menu card is not achievable and the authority should modify the draft rules.

yasmeen.afshan@thehindu.co.in

Protect consumers from errant MNCs

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had banned Maggi noodles in 2015 alleging that the product contained harmful monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Packets of Nestle's Maggi instant noodles are seen on display at a grocery store in Mumbai.

Maggi noodles are back in the eye of a storm. The Supreme Court on Thursday lifted a stay on the proceedings of a class-action suit filed by the Union against Maggi-producer, the Swiss-headquartered Nestle India. This will allow the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC) to begin hearing the Rs 640 crore claims filed by the government under the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. “Why should children have Maggi noodles with lead?” asked the apex court bench to the senior counsel, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Nestle.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had banned Maggi noodles in 2015 alleging that the product contained harmful monosodium glutamate (MSG). Based on subsequent tests, FSSAI had green-lighted the noodle brand, but with the new Supreme Court order, Nestle and Maggi are back on trial. 

Another multinational company that has been in the news in recent days is the US-based pharmaceutical giant, Johnson & Johnson (J&J). The company is in hot water for supplying faulty hip implants to patients, endangering their lives. An expert committee has recommended that each of the patients be compensated a minimum of `20 lakh, and the penalties could go up to `1.2 crore. J&J is contesting the award in the Delhi High Court. 

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Over 490 of 1,123 samples of packaged drinking water non-conforming to food safety norms, LS told

As many as 496 of the total 1,123 samples of packaged drinking water analysed during 2017-18 were found to be non-conforming to the prescribed standards of the food safety norms, the Lok Sabha was informed Friday.

Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey said 246 cases were registered during the period in which conviction was ordered in 97 cases, while penalties were imposed in 135 cases.

In 2016-17, 697 samples were analysed, of which 224 were found to be violating the provisions under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 and cases was launched in 131 cases, Choubey said.

Of these, conviction was ordered in 33 cases and penalties were imposed in 40 cases, he said.

Instances of sale of packaged drinking water not meeting the prescribed standards have come to the notice of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

As the responsibility of enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 primarily lies with states and Union Territories.

The commissioners of Food Safety of states and UTs have been advised by the FSSAI from time-to-time to undertake strict enforcement activities against unauthorised manufacture and sale of packaged drinking water without FSSAI/BIS mark in states and UT governments.

Further to ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food, regular surveillance, monitoring, inspection and random sampling of food products, including packaged drinking water, are being carried out by officials of the Food Safety Departments of the respective states and Union Territories.

In cases where food samples are found non-conforming, recourse is taken to penal provisions specified under the FSS Act, 2006 which may extend to imprisonment for life.

Inspect organic shops: rights panel

Petitioner cites Minister’s statement

The State Human Rights Commission has ordered the government to conduct inspections in shops selling organic vegetables in the State for pesticide residues.

Agriculture Minister V.S. Sunil Kumar had informed the Assembly that pesticide residues were detected in organic vegetable samples, the commission said on Friday.

Report in a month

Commission chairman Antony Dominic has asked the Food Safety Commissioner, Agriculture Secretary, and the State Police Chief to take the necessary measures and submit reports in a month.

The commission’s order was based on a petition filed by activist Ragam Rahim. There is increased dependence on shops selling organically cultivated vegetables and fruits with pesticide-ridden vegetables being blamed for causing lethal diseases like cancer, the petitioner said.

Thrice the price

Trusting consumers are willing to pay thrice the normal price for organic vegetables thinking them to be free of pesticides. If such vegetables indeed contain toxins, it is a violation of the right to live. Such shops should be closed down especially in a scenario where the Minister himself had informed the Assembly about the pesticide residues, Mr. Rahim said in his petition.

Replying to a question in the Assembly on December 11, Mr. Sunil Kumar had cited a report of the Pesticide Residue Research and Analytical Laboratory at Vellayani which said that 11.11% of samples collected from privately-run organic vegetable shops contained pesticide residues.

A food safety net

Access to food and equity in nutrition security is fundamental. But safety is given a go-by due to excessive processing and removal of nutrients

William James had once said, “A chain is no stronger than its weakest link, and life is after all a chain.” This phrase best describes the food safety scenario in India. Post independence, rapid growth and the consequent scramble for scarce resources revived the Malthusian catastrophe, which represents poor agricultural production in times of tipping population growth. India today produces about 280 million tonnes (MT) of foodgrains, 175MT of milk while our horticultural output stands at around 320MT. India remains the second largest producer of rice in the world but is heavily dependent on oil imports. We are slowly shifting from a quantitative approach to qualitative considerations about what we eat. And this is where a farm-to-table approach becomes significant to understand the food safety circle. For example, what is the nutritive value of milk? One could just Google the answer and be satisfied with emerging tables. But going deeper, one would understand that the quality of milk depends on a number of factors like the breed of cow, quality of cattle feed, kind of urea that was used in the feed, whether antibiotics were given in their feed or whether oxytocin was used for milk let-down. These should actually turn the table.

The mere nutritive value of calorie, protein, fat or carbohydrates cannot satisfy questions related to health. Antibiotic and hormonal residues, mycotoxins, heavy metals and the like can mar the nutritive value — it is like highly nutritious food with traces of pesticides. Studies by the Centre for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy showed that India is fast becoming a hotbed for antibiotic resistance and emergence of superbugs due to the use of fourth generation antibiotics in animal and poultry feeding. A majority of antibiotics used by the pharmaceutical companies is actually used by growth promoters in animal feed. Any pathogen exposed to antibiotics in the environment will develop resistance. When they fall sick, the same antibiotics administered will not work. Today about four lakh people in India die due to tuberculosis, mainly drug resistance.

Of the 232 pesticides our country uses, nearly 52 have not been studied for their maximum residue limit. Food safety concerns are not simplistic like adulterating milk with water, cheaper dalda for ghee, papaya seeds for pepper, as was the case earlier. Hi-tech adulteration like the use of melamine to boost protein went undetected even in the US for a long time. New tools and techniques had to be evolved to detect the adulterant. In the same way, there are genetically modified organisms creeping into our food system through imports and illegal seeds. We would rarely be able to detect them given the current situation. In food processing, safety is given a go-by due to excessive handling, removal of nutrients, usage of food additives that can actually erode nutrient value. At present, the list of food additives is unending. Refined sugar and salt being added in excess in all processed food are the source of addiction to certain flavours and choices. Refined nutrients are today killing more people than toxic residues.

Ecological sensitivity, sustainability and food safety will be the trends as millennials look for better health and wellness. Consumers are now looking for sustainable solutions. Ethics is always contextual. For instance, being vegetarian or vegan can be ethical for some and extremely ethical for animal activists. But this isn’t universal. What is sauce for the goose should also be sauce for the gander. Ethical food has to be acceptable to all and the universal has to basically focus on reducing the ecological footprint. This calls for humane handling of animals in farming and even at slaughter houses.

The loss of biodiversity is the biggest bane for agriculture. Above all, access to food and equity in nutrition security is the fundamental ethical aspect of society. As for food companies, ethics about profit can simply be as a producer of foods that do not make people unhealthy, sick and obese. In this context, organic food has seen a great deal of growth in the past decade. More and more people are opting for organic foods because of its true form and content. People are asking for minimally processed diverse varieties rather than the routine run-of-the- mill foods that come even under the organic label. Conscious consumers are today raising questions, thanks to public opinion, created through debate and discussions in the media and consumer forums. Ecological sensitivity, increased disease burden and abundant health information are driving people to make better choices. Apart from enjoying food, they are making sure that they do not compromise on health. Good food can indeed prevent most of the ills that society confronts today and can pave the way for a healthy and happy life.

(The writer is founder and MD of a leading food manufacturing company)

Tangled noodles

The SC, by reviving a class action suit against Maggi, has brought back focus on food safety

Just when the dust had settled after the Indian branch of Swiss food giant Nestle suffered a brand hit with Maggi noodles being declared unsafe four years ago, it has run into fresh trouble. Taking cognisance of matters related to public health, the Supreme Court ordered the revival of a Rs 650-crore worth class-action suit filed by the Government that had pulled up the noodle manufacturer for indulging in unfair trade practices, false labelling of products and misleading advertisements. Not only that, Justice Chandrachud has questioned the presence of lead, even within traceable limits, and sought good reason why it should be fed to children. Though the sample test report from the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysuru — that had indicated lead in permissible limits — will form the genesis of the case, additional solicitor-general Vikramjit Banerjee said the matter should be sent to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission which can decide on the merits independently.

The court’s circling of the presence of lead has again raised the issue of food safety standards in the country. Post-Maggi controversy, food companies, regulators, the Government and the consumers alike became more concerned about deconstructing food than being indifferent about it. The court’s observation points to the fact that ingredients, even if they are within legally permissible limits, are never marked out clearly on the food label. The problem with managing lead concentration is that the heavy metal is largely present in the environment, in soil or plants, and cannot entirely be eliminated by washing or processing. It is also possible for lead to enter the food supply chain through manufacturing processes, leaching into the water that passes through metal pipes or vessels. According to the USFDA, although lead levels in the food supply decreased dramatically between the 1970s-1990s, low traces of lead continue to be detected in some foods simply because they remain in the environment. And for that it ensures a strict regulatory framework of monitoring and testing at frequent intervals, something that is far cry in India yet. Lead does impact our children’s health and development, vulnerable as they are in their early years, causing neurological problems, learning disabilities and lower IQ levels. Food safety, therefore, should not just be limited to packaged products but the raw ones as well. High levels of cadmium and arsenic are routinely found in vegetables and fruits we procure from the market. The milk we consume is heavily adulterated with detergents. Compromising on standards is often a mistake that consumers make and this is the real concern that must be addressed by the guardians of public health. Even with the case of Maggi, our laboratories itself stood divided — while Government laboratories found excess levels of lead and MSG, other labs found otherwise. This raises questions about the sampling procedure itself, which is not foolproof. This would require strict enforcement of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, else meeting public health indices will remain elusive.

Banned! Your food will not come in these materials; deadline imposed

"The new packaging regulations would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level," Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal said in a statement.

The new packaging regulations would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level," Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal said in a statement, 

Food businesses need to comply with new packaging regulations that bar use of recycled plastics and newspapers to wrap food articles by July 1, regulator FSSAI said Thursday.

The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.

Taking cognizance of the carcinogenic effect of inks and dyes, the norms also prohibit the use of newspaper and such other materials for packing or wrapping of food articles and includes respective Indian standard for printing inks for use on food packages.

"The new packaging regulations would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level," Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal said in a statement.

He also said that there would be "difficulties" in implementation of these regulations by the unorganised sector and therefore sufficient time has been given before the regulations come into force.

"The food businesses shall have to comply with these regulations by 1st July, 2019," he said.

Agarwal also mentioned that stakeholder's consultation and mass awareness building amongst consumers and food businesses would precede implementation of the new packaging regulations.

Besides general and specific requirement with respect to packaging materials, the FSSAI said new regulations also prescribe overall migration and specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic packaging materials.

The regulations specify the suggestive list of packaging materials for different food product categories.

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Keeping check on plastic ban

Plastic go

FSSAI asks food biz to comply with new packaging norms by July 1

The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.

New Delhi: Food businesses need to comply with new packaging regulations that bar use of recycled plastics and newspapers to wrap food articles by July 1, regulator FSSAI said on Thursday.

The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.

Taking cognizance of the carcinogenic effect of inks and dyes, the norms also prohibit the use of newspaper and such other materials for packing or wrapping of food articles and includes respective Indian standard for printing inks for use on food packages.

“The new packaging regulations would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level,” Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal said in a statement.

He also said that there would be “difficulties” in implementation of these regulations by the unorganised sector and therefore sufficient time has been given before the regulations come into force.

“The food businesses shall have to comply with these regulations by 1st July, 2019,” he said.

Agarwal also mentioned that stakeholder’s consultation and mass awareness building amongst consumers and food businesses would precede implementation of the new packaging regulations.

Besides general and specific requirement with respect to packaging materials, the FSSAI said new regulations also prescribe overall migration and specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic packaging materials.

The regulations specify the suggestive list of packaging materials for different food product categories.

As per these regulations, packaging materials used for packing or storing the food products should conform to the Indian standards provided in the schedules.

The new norms will replace all provisions with respect to packaging requirements prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.

Recognising the importance of packaging in the food sector and its impact on food safety, packaging regulations have been separated from labelling regulations.

The primary objective of packaging is to protect the food contents from micro-biological, chemical, physical and atmospheric contamination and preserve the food and thereby protect consumer’s health.

Good packaging also ensures that there is no change in sensory properties or composition of food when packed. Packaging is essential and critical for promoting food safety, extended shelf-life and thereby enhancing food security.

FSSAI issues food packing rules

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has prohibited the use of packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry-bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing food articles. 

The authority has set a deadline of July 1, 2019, for food businesses to comply with the new regulations that now replace all provisions with respect to packaging requirements prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.

According to Pawan Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI, the new packaging regulations would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level. 

Pointing to the difficulties in implementation of these regulations, particularly the loose packaging materials in the unorganised sector, he said that sufficient lead time has been given before the regulations come into force. He added that stakeholders’ consultation and mass awareness building among consumers and food businesses would precede implementation of the new packaging regulations. 

In addition to general and specific requirement with respect to packaging materials, the regulations prescribe overall migration and specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic packaging materials. The regulations specify the suggestive list of packaging materials for different food product categories. 

As per these regulations, the packaging materials used for packing or storing the food products shall conform to the Indian Standards provided in the schedules.

The new regulations are based on two studies conducted by the authority through the Indian Institute of Packaging (IIP), Mumbai and the National Test House (NTH), Kolkata.

The studies showed that the packaging material used by the organised sector is largely safe but there are concerns about the use of packaging material by the unorganised/informal sector. Further, there are serious concerns about the safety of loose packaging material.

“It is in the interest of all food business operators (FBOs) to follow high standards of packaging so that the quality of the food and the safety of their consumers is never compromised. On the premise that the government expects reasonable and cost-friendly corrections to be made, this will benefit consumers and also favourably raise the bar for the entire industry,” said Ravi Wazir, a food and restaurant industry consultant. 

Taking cognisance of the carcinogenic effect of inks and dyes, these regulations also prohibit the use of newspaper and such other materials for packing or wrapping of food articles and includes respective Indian standard for printing inks for use on food packages.

FSSAI said in a statement that the primary objective of packaging is to protect the food contents from microbiological, chemical, physical and atmospheric contamination and preserve the food and thereby protect consumer’s health. Good packaging also ensures that there is no change in sensory properties or composition of food when packed. Packaging is essential and critical for promoting food safety, extended shelf-life and thereby enhancing food security, it said.

With new food quality standards already in place, FSSAI will be focusing on enforcing the regulations without impacting businesses. During 2018, FSSAI accelerated the process of setting standards and notified 27 new regulations for food standards.

CRISP AND CLEAR

• The rules also prescribe specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic packaging materials 
• They also include respective Indian standard for printing inks for use on food packages

Stop using recycled plastics, newspapers to wrap food items: FSSAI to food biz

The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.

Food businesses need to comply with new packaging regulations that bar use of recycled plastics and newspapers to wrap food articles by July 1, regulator FSSAI said Thursday.

The new regulations prohibit packaging material made of recycled plastics including carry bags for packaging, storing, carrying or dispensing articles of food.

Taking cognizance of the carcinogenic effect of inks and dyes, the norms also prohibit the use of newspaper and such other materials for packing or wrapping of food articles and includes respective Indian standard for printing inks for use on food packages.

"The new packaging regulations would raise the bar of food safety in India to the next level," Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal said in a statement.

He also said that there would be "difficulties" in implementation of these regulations by the unorganised sector and therefore sufficient time has been given before the regulations come into force.

"The food businesses shall have to comply with these regulations by 1st July, 2019," he said.

Agarwal also mentioned that stakeholder's consultation and mass awareness building amongst consumers and food businesses would precede implementation of the new packaging regulations.

Besides general and specific requirement with respect to packaging materials, the FSSAI said new regulations also prescribe overall migration and specific migration limits of contaminants for plastic packaging materials.

The regulations specify the suggestive list of packaging materials for different food product categories. As per these regulations, packaging materials used for packing or storing the food products should conform to the Indian standards provided in the schedules.

The new norms will replace all provisions with respect to packaging requirements prescribed in the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011. Recognising the importance of packaging in the food sector and its impact on food safety, packaging regulations have been separated from labelling regulations.

The primary objective of packaging is to protect the food contents from micro-biological, chemical, physical and atmospheric contamination and preserve the food and thereby protect consumer's health.

Good packaging also ensures that there is no change in sensory properties or composition of food when packed. Packaging is essential and critical for promoting food safety, extended shelf-life and thereby enhancing food security.

FDA directs three chikki manufacturers to stop work

Pimpri Chinchwad: The state food and drug administration (FDA) has directed three chikki manufacturers in Lonavla, Loni Kalbhor and Kondhwa Budruk to cease work immediately for flouting food safety rules.

“A team headed by food safety inspector inspected the manufacturing units last week and found several discrepancies in the manufacturing process. That is why they have been told to shut down,” Sampat Deshmukh, assistant commissioner, FDA, Pune, said.

The Union government had approved Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Rules 2011 to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food. According to the rules, a manufacturer needs to have a well-equipped laboratory to ensure safety of food, otherwise it must get the product tested from FSSAI-approved NABL laboratory.

“The three chikki manufacturers did not follow this rule. Further, they did not have the laboratory report on potable water used by them. Also, they did not have technically-qualified persons to monitor the manufacturing process,” said Deshmukh.

The manufacturers will have to take measures to remove these lacunae and submit a compliance report to the FDA following which they will be allowed to resume manufacturing.

Earlier, FDA had issued stop work notice to Lonavla’s Maganlal Chikki in December last year for not following FSSAI norms.

FDA seizes adulterated sonpapdi

Nagpur: Food and Drug Administration (FDA) team seized 4,873kg adulterated sonpapdi worth Rs3,16,745 from Ganga Sweets, Pachpaoli, recently.

Acting on a tip off that owner Raju Shivaji Bhunje was using green colour-coated groundnut pieces instead of pista in manufacture of sonpapdi, FDA team led by Milind Deshpande, assistant commissioner (Food), and comprising of food safety officers Anant Chaudhary, Abhay Deshpande and Praful Tople conducted a raid. 

The green-coloured groundnut pieces and artificial edible green colour recovered from the shop were sent to a laboratory for testing. The misleading label of ‘Pista sonpapdi’ was found on the product, the team said adding that further action will be taken under suitable sections on receipt of analytical report.

The raid was conducted under the guidance of joint commissioner (Food) Shashikant Kekre who has urged people to lodge a complaint regarding food adulteration on 0712- 2562204.

Tests find formalin in fish from other states

PATNA: Presence of carcinogenic chemicals, such as formalin, lead and cadmium in fishes imported from other states has made consumption of fish risky. These chemicals are used for preserving the fishes.

Laboratory test reports of three fish samples mentioned heavy amount of formalin along with lead and cadmium. State health department is now waiting for seven more reports, after which a decision will be taken to prevent ailments due to consumption of such fishes.

“Altogether 10 samples were collected in October and sent to a laboratory in Kolkata. We have got the reports of three samples, which have very high content of formalin, lead and cadmium. We will get seven other reports in a couple of days,” principal health secretary Sanjay Kumar told TOI on Thursday.

Formalin is a preservative applied on the fishes to prevent it from decay and it is highly carcinogenic. According to experts, formalin is also used to preserve bodies in mortuaries. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), heavy metals like lead and cadmium are also carcinogenic and have toxic effects on human being. They damage kidney, skeletal, respiratory system and nervous system.

It is not for the first time in Bihar that deadly formalin has been detected in fishes. State animal and fisheries resource department had in September last collected 85 samples from small fish vendors across the state and conducted formalin test on them at its Mithapur research centre. Samples of 25 fishes showed high content of formalin.

The fresh test was carried out after the department received an instruction from the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT), Kochi. The instruction was issued following detection of high level of formalin in fish samples in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Assam, Goa and West Bengal in July-August last year.

Even the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had released a guidance note on July 16 last year, alerting people about the deadly effects of formalin, which is used to preserve fish. The alerts were issued after scientists confirmed formalin in fishes in Chennai market.

A fisheries department official in Bihar said most fishes with formalin coating were brought from Andhra Pradesh and their main market in Bihar was Patna. He added that fishes like ‘rehu’, ‘katla’, ‘naini’ and common carp, which are in demand and brought from other states, had formalin in them. He, however, said there was no harm in eating local fish.

FSSAI's new packaging regulations would raise the bar for food safety

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Food aggregators can’t just get away with substandard deliveries in India anymore

Multi-million dollar funding rounds aside, food-delivery startups are facing regulatory heat in India—but no one’s really complaining.

On Dec. 29, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a new set of guidelines for them. They mandate:

• Acquiring a licence from the central licencing authority
• Making provisions for arbitrary quality checks by the regulator during any time in the delivery process
• Only selling products with a remaining shelf life of either 30% or 45 days before expiry at the time of delivery
• Signing deal stating sellers’ compliance with food-safety rules, liability rests with food-business operators
• Food establishments have to now mention their FSSAI licence registration and hygiene grading
• Provide the actual image of the dish on their platforms so that consumers can recognise the product
• Before purchase, consumers to be provided information in the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act
• Trained personnel to ensure last-mile delivery, product safety must not compromised at the time of delivery

So far, startups such as Swiggy and Zomato operate only as a conduit between the consumer and restaurants, picking up orders and delivering them. The government is now clearly putting the onus on the conduits.

The FSSAI has already been auditing food-delivery apps to ensure compliance on the safety and hygiene fronts.

“Aggregators must begin to use some of their resources in training and capacity building of restaurants for improving food safety and hygiene rather than focusing only on deep discounts and aggressive marketing..,” Pawan Agarwal, CEO of FSSAI, had said in a statement on Aug. 02.

Under the radar

Following a series of complaints against the aggregators for listing sub-standard restaurants and for delivering low-quality food, the FSSAI in July asked 10 such companies, including Swiggy, Zomato, Uber Eats, Foodpanda, and Lime Tray, to delist unlicenced restaurants by July 31.

Despite the directive, licences and registrations of up to 40% of the restaurants listed by the platforms were not verified, according to an FSSAI audit revealed on Aug. 02. By October, though, they had de-listed over 5,000 restaurants.

In December, a video of a Zomato delivery personnel eating food from delivery boxes went viral on social media and caught the company unaware. Zomato identified the executive and suspended him, calling it an “unusual and rare case.” Nevertheless, it triggered a tirade on food-safety concerns.

Therefore, analysts, in general, believe the FSSAI’s move to tighten the industry standards is in the right direction though it can add to the aggregators’ overheads.

“The guidelines are to improve efficiency and quality of service in food delivery. The companies should ensure compliance with the amended regulations,” said Varsha S, associate partner at law firm Dhir & Dhir Associates.

The companies themselves are taking the development positively it seems.

Coping with the change

While Swiggy did not share its specific plans for compliance with the FSSAI norms, it expressed broad agreement with the authority’s initiative.

“In full compliance of Food Safety and Standards Act and Rules, all unregistered restaurants were disabled from Swiggy. We are working with FSSAI to bring the necessary confidence and control in last-mile delivery and safety of food,” Swiggy said in an e-mail response to Quartz’s queries.

Zomato said it recently introduced initiatives like training sessions for restaurant partners to educate them on the subject and to obtain certification.

“We have also tied up with third parties to set up a helpline for restaurants to meet compliance. The DIY kit is also circulated to our restaurant partners to further ease the process. We have also tied up with third parties to help us validate the FSSAI licences of all our restaurant partners,” Zomato said in an e-mail response.

The company also has a supply platform, HyperPure, which helps it source fresh ingredients for the restaurants. The company launched hygiene-rating services for restaurants in late 2017 and has already conducted audits at over 6,000 restaurants in India.

“While we are already compliant with the mandatory directives in the FSS Act, we will work with FSSAI on any measures required to drive the development in the ecosystem,” Zomato said.

Grofers, a grocery delivery startup, said it works closely with its merchant partners to ensure compliance of food safety and hygiene standards.

“But there is some ambiguity. It is not clear what mandatory food information must the aggregators provide to their consumers, or what kind of standards will determine the quality training of personnel,” said Varsha S.

Understanding standards on printing ink for food packaging necessary

In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.

In India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the regulation and supervision of food safety.

FSSAI has been established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. FSSAI is now revamping its standard on packaging and labelling, and is laying emphasis on packaging safety by bringing a specific regulation focussed on food safety aspects of the packaging material.

The standard prescribes that any material used for packaging, preparation, storing, wrapping, transportation and sale or service of food shall be of food grade quality (“Food grade” refers to materials made of substances which are safe and suitable for their intended use and shall not endanger human health and bring change in the composition of food or organoleptic characteristics).

FSSAI has always promoted the principle of self-discipline in the industry, which eventually helps the brand owners to apply best practices available globally and produce safe products for the consumer.

Packaging regulation prescribed by FSSAI is a more stringent version of the current regulation and now encompasses more elements such as paper, metal, and packaging inks. FSSAI now prescribes that printing inks for use on food packages shall conform to IS 15495. The standard is being developed by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and will be mandatory post-FSSAI notification of the regulation.

Packaging supply chain needs to understand the standard in order to ensure the adherence to the prescribed standard.

Packaging Inks conformance to IS 15495

The Indian Standard IS 15495:2004 ‘Printing Ink for food packaging – Code of Practice’ prescribes guidelines for printing inks for use in food packages. The standard differentiates between four categories of printing inks and gives guidance on the formulation of the respective inks:

Printing inks on external (secondary/tertiary) food packaging: They can be formulated freely, but must not contain substances from the exclusion list and must not contain toxic substances. In the case, that a functional barrier does not exist, bleeding dyes and colouring agents need to be avoided.

Printing inks on immediate food wrappings: Those must be applied to the outside of the food wrapper, comply with the exclusion list and must not contain toxic substances. Inks are to be printed in such a manner as to avoid set-off. The final intended articles need to be manufactured in a manner that under normal or foreseeable condition of use, they shall not transfer their constituents to the food in quantities, which may endanger human health, cause a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics or an unacceptable change in the nature, substance and/or quality of the food. In the case, that a functional barrier does not exist, bleeding dyes and colouring agents need to be avoided.

Printing inks for direct food contact: They must be formulated only with food additives under the appropriate regulation of the Government of India. The final intended articles need to be manufactured in a manner that under normal or foreseeable condition of use, they shall not transfer their constituents to the food in quantities, which may endanger human health, cause a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics or an unacceptable change in the nature, substance and/or quality of the food. In the case, that a functional barrier does not exist, bleeding dyes and colouring agents need to be avoided.

Printing inks for disposables (e.g., paper plates, drinking straws or table napkins):Those inks must not contain substances from the exclusion list or those, which are otherwise known to be toxic. Moreover, they shall be formulated to avoid bleeding onto the food.

Requirements across Supply Chain Stakeholders

Ink Manufacturer

Ink manufacturers are responsible to formulate packaging inks by using only raw materials other than those known to be toxic, carcinogenic, sensitising or mutagenic, primarily governed by the exclusion list as per Annex A.

Ink manufacturers are expected to take all necessary precautions to meet the guidelines of the standard.

Ink manufacturers shall inform the converter and print buyers on the suitability of ink type towards the packages of food and the norms followed in formulations as per the requirement.
Printer / Converter

The printer and converter is finally responsible for manufacturing and storage of the food packages in such a manner by which all preventable transfer of material from the ink or coating to the food content is avoided, even if such transfer is unobjectionable on the grounds of health, odour and flavour.

The printer needs to ensure that the storage environment should be free from potential volatile contaminants, which could adversely affect the organoleptic characteristics of the food.

For immediate food wrappings and direct contact applications the final intended articles need to be manufactured in such a way, that under normal or foreseeable condition of use, they shall not transfer their constituents to the food in quantities, which may endanger the human health, cause a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics or an unacceptable change in the nature, substance and/or quality of the food.

For immediate food wrappings and direct contact applications the printer needs to establish appropriate controls to avoid set-off in the printing process.

The converter needs to perform adequate analysis for the specific application in context of validating the bleeding capacity of dyes and pigments used in the inks.
Print Buyer/Brand Owner

Print buyers need to design the packaging with the restriction of printing in mind.

For immediate food wrappings and direct contact applications the final intended articles need to be manufactured in such a way, that under normal or foreseeable condition of use, they shall not transfer their constituents to the food in quantities, which may endanger the human health, cause a deterioration in the organoleptic characteristics or an unacceptable change in the nature, substance and/or quality of the food.

Relationship between the press speed and the curing/drying power needs to be fully understood to ensure that an adequate curing/drying takes place.

For immediate wrappers, the print buyer needs to recommend substrates with sufficiently low permeability to prevent migration.

It is very important to understand that packaging safety can only be implemented when packaging supply chain partners share information among each other and follow an integrated approach. Integrated packaging supply chain is the key to success of packaging safety implementation.

India’s food regulator has kicked off the new year with a set of new food standards

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has introduced a set of new food standards on pulses, organic food, and honey. 

In a first, it has decided to include standard certification and labeling in organic food sector in India. 

It is notified 27 standards in 2018 including those on alcoholic beverages that will be enforced in the coming year. 

With the beginning of new year, India’s top food regulator, The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), introduced a new set of food standards on 1 January on items such as pulses, organic food, and honey,reported Press Trust of India. 

FSSAI has begun enforcing microbiological standards for fruit and vegetables and their products as well as further specified the tolerance limit of antibiotics and pharmacology active substances. Additionally, Food fortification regulations will become effective from 1 July 2019 said the report. 

FSSAI has also included standards for certification and labelling in the organic food sector of the country. Simultaneously, it is also looking forward to crackdown the uncontrolled adulteration in honey along with addressing issues related to its quality and purity, reported The Business Line citing a statement by FSSAI. 

Some of the regulations including those on alcoholic beverages will come into effect from 1 April whereas regulations on advertising and claims, packaging and labeling requirements of blended edible vegetable oils will be effective from 1 July 2019. 

FSSAI has been making efforts to protect consumers by speeding up the process of framing new food standards. The food regulator aims to ensure that consumers are eating ‘safe’ food. FSSAI wants to focus on compliance, monitoring, inspection, and enforcement of the drafted regulations said the report. 

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has drafted nearly 27 new regulation in 2018. 

The new standards framed by FSSAI introduced on Monday includes all pulses, whole and decorticated pearl millet grains, de-germedmaize flour and maize grit, couscous, tempe, textured soy protein, sago flour, bee wax, and royal jelly. 

According Food businesses in India are generally provided with a transition period of 6 months time and the date for implementing any new standard is either 1 January or 1 July, said FSSAI. 

The FSSAI has been working aggressively to check on food security and quality to avoid health risk to consumers in India.In 2018, it modified the provision for milk and milk products. It also banned the food industry for using recycled plastic or newspaper and magazine pages to pack food items,according to media reports. 

FSSAI Will Crack Down On Calcium Carbide User

Positive India:As per information available with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), some reports have appeared in the media regarding use of calcium carbide for ripening fruits. As per regulation 2.3.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulations, 2011, use of calcium carbide for ripening of fruits is prohibited. FSSAI has sent letters to all State/UT Governments/State Food Safety Commissioners emphasizing the need to keep a strict vigil for checking use of calcium carbide for ripening of fruits and apprising them of the methodology for detection of Acetylene in godowns and storage chambers. They have also been apprised of the approved concentration of ethylene for ripening of fruits. State /UT Govt authorities/State Food Safety Commissioners have also been impressed upon to conduct periodic inspections and monitoring, inter alia, of fruits and vegetables markets. A document has also been uploaded on the FSSAI’s Official website i.e. fssai.gov.in to make the public aware about ill effects of consuming fruits ripened artificially by calcium carbide. FSSAI and the Ministry of Consumer Affairs regularly issue advertisements in print media to acquaint consumers about the harmful effects of use of carbide gas for ripening of fruits.

FSSAI IS responsible for making regulations and setting standards, import of food, notifying labs and coordination to ensure cooperation between FSSAI and States. The implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 falls within the remit of the State/UT Governments and it is discharged through the Commissioner of Food Safety, Designated Officers and Food Safety Officers. The drawing of samples, getting them tested and launching prosecution, etc. is the mandate of the State/UT Governments. Regular surveillance, monitoring and inspection is undertaken by State/UT Governments to check compliance with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and regulations therunder. However, separate information in respect of inspection of food packaging industries carried out by State/UT authorities is not maintained centrally by FSSAI.

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Smt Anupriya Patel stated this in a written reply in the Lok Sabha here today.

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