Food safety dept urged to check artificial ripening

Trichy: The food safety department was urged to conduct frequent inspections and sensitization drives to prevent artificial ripening of mangoes since it is difficult for the common man to differentiate it from the naturally ripened mangoes.

"A section of traders use chemicals to artificially ripen the mangos as the demand is very high. The food safety officials should sensitise the traders to ensure the quality of fruits," S Vadivel, a resident of Subramaniapuram, said. Mangoes have been decked up in supermarkets and small shops, but the residents said that the eagerness to taste mangos is on back foot owing to the fear of being end up in buying artificially ripened poor quality fruit.

Calcium carbide stones can ripen mangos in a day and it is convenient for the traders due to its easy availability. They can obtain it from even from welding and hardware shops for a meagre price. "We have seized tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes in the previous years. Since such seizure would bring big loss to the traders, such acts have come down over the years," an official with food safety department said. The department has promised to increase the vigil to prevent artificial ripening of fruits. Officials said that artificial ripening could be identified only if they seize carbide stone along with mangos. "It is very difficult to differentiate between artificially ripened and naturally ripened mangoes without tasting them," the official said. The department has planned to focus on the shops in Gandhi Market and other places across the city.

Special drive to check juice and soft drink outlets in Kozhikode

Kozhikode: Health and food safety officials have decided to commence a special drive to check the juice and soft drinks outlets that have sprang up on roadsides in the summer. The health department has directed the local self-government bodies to conduct a special drive covering makeshift juice outlets in the wake of spike in hepatitis A and diarrhoea cases.

The health department has also directed the public to keep vigil while consuming fresh juice items and soft drinks from cool bars and wayside juice shops. The direction was given after observing the number of temporary juice stalls selling bottled water, lemon juice, ‘sambaram’ (spiced butter milk), sugarcane juice and ‘kulukki sarbat’ are on the rise in the district. 

Not only the local self-government bodies, but the food safety department too has commenced inspections covering eateries across the district. The food safety officials, during the inspections, are directing eatery outlet owners to replace block ice with cube ice to ensure that the ice using for the preparation of juice and soft drinks is free from contamination. Consumption of contaminated water and juice results in waterborne diseases such as hepatitis A and diarrhoea.

According to the health department officials, 27 Hepatitis A cases have been reported from various parts of the district from January 1 to March 23, 2019. A total of 12,469 diarrhoea cases and one death have been reported from various parts of the district from January 1 to March 23, 2019. As many as 144 Hepatitis A cases, 52,415 diarrhoea cases and one death were reported in 2018.

Dr Ashadevi, additional district medical officer (public health), said that consumption of juice and soft drinks made of contaminated water is one of the major causes for the increase in number of hepatitis A and diarrhoea cases in the district. “Public should be very cautious when they consume fresh juice from wayside makeshift eatery outlets and the shop owners should use only good quality ice for the preparation of such items,” said the ADMO adding that ensuring personal hygiene is the best available option to keep away from water-borne diseases.

Corporation health officer Dr R S Gopakumar said that the civic body has already issued instructions to licenced cool bars and shops to make use of cube ice and safe drinking water to prepare juice items and soft drinks. “The special drive covering ice-manufacturing factories and units and wayside juice shops will commence on April 1,” he said.

Meanwhile, P K Eliyamma, assistant commissioner, food safety, Kozhikode, said that the drive to inspect ice manufacturing outlets will commence next month.

DINAKARAN NEWS

Food on wheels, how far?

FSAT upholds order of adjudicating officer against Bunge India Pvt Ltd

JAMMU, Mar 23: Food Safety Appellate Tribunal (FSAT), Jammu established under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 upheld the judgment of Adjudicating Officers of District Samba in the case titled Food Safety Officer Purmandal V/s Bunge India Pvt. Ltd, Kurla Complex, Bandra East, Mumbai wherein penalty of Rs 4.7 lakh has been imposed on the accused parties.

The case was pleaded by Adv Kanav Raina, Standing Council of the department before the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal, Jammu. On June 6, 2015, Food Safety officer Purmandal, Samba, during a routine inspection of Food Park SIDCO Complex Bari Brahamna, inspected the manufacturing unit of M/S Khajuria Food Industry, Food Park SIDCO Complex, Bari Brahmana, district Samba, and observed that Bakery shortening (Lily Vanaspati) manufactured by Bunge India Pvt. Ltd. being used for manufacturing/ selling of food articles like rusk, biscuits, mathi, bakery, etc.

After disclosing his identity, the said Food Safety officer lifted the sample of Bakery Shortening and sent the same to the food testing laboratory Jammu for analysis. The Food Analyst Jammu vide his report No: FSSA/J/827 dated: 10.10.2015, opined that the sample was substandard and did not conform to the requirement of Regulation 2.2.6(2) of Food Safety and Standards (Food Products standards and Food Additive) Regulations 2011. Consequently, a complaint under Section 26(2)(ii) read with Section 51 of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, was lodged against the seller/owner and distributor.

After conducting inquiry, the Adjudicating officer, Samba opined that all the accused parties have contravened Section 26(2) (ii) read with Section 51, Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, for manufacturing, distributing, and selling, the sub standard Bakery Shortening (Lily Vanaspati) and accordingly a penalty of Rs 2.5 lakh was imposed on the manufacturer M/S Bunge India Pvt Ltd MUMBAI, Rs 2 lakh on the distributor M/S AM ENTERPRISES, Ware House Jammu and also Rs 10,000/ each on M/S Khajuria Food Industry, Food Park SIDCO Complex, Bari Brahmana (seller/owner) wherefrom the sample was lifted.

The manufacturer and distributes preferred to file an appeal before the FSAT, Jammu against the order of Adjudicating Officer. The FSAT, Jammu after hearing the Advocate of both the parties is of the opinion that there are no irregularities or procedural infirmity in the impugned order and as such upheld the order of the Adjudicating Officer, Samba.

FDA gears up to ensure mention of ‘maida’, ‘atta’ on food labels

Pune: Officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Pune are gearing up to implement the recent directive of the food regulator mandating packaged-food companies to label refined flour as ‘maida’ and whole wheat as ‘atta’.

“The food manufacturing companies have been told to comply with the order by April 30, 2019. It means that every food item containing the ingredient needs to clearly mention ‘maida’ and ‘atta’ from May 1 onwards,” said Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner (food), FDA

Elaborating, Deshmukh said, “Currently, quite a few food manufacturers in India mention wheat flour when in reality they use refined wheat flour or maida in their products. Again, many consumers confuse refined wheat flour with wheat flour. The directive will dispel this confusion and make it clear to consumers whether they are having maida or atta.”

Dilip Sangat, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Raigad, said, “This is aimed at bringing clarity in labelling as many packaged food companies use ‘wheat flour’ as general English nomenclature for both atta and maida on product labels.”

The move assumes significance as many companies use these nomenclatures to make health claims about their products such as atta, bread and biscuits. This directive on labelling will help consumers make informed choices while buying such products.

The issue came to the fore when FDA officials in Raigad issued notice to a popular biscuit brand’s manufacturing unit in Khopoli (Raigad district) in Maharashtra.

“The biscuit company claimed wheat flour on the label but in reality it used refined wheat flour or maida to make the biscuits. Similar other raids across the country also revealed the same pattern wherein companies cashed in on the confusion between wheat flour and refined wheat flour. The FSSAI then issued the directive to use maida and atta with English words,” Sangat said. The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) issued the order on February 1 this year.

“It has been observed that the food business operators use ‘wheat flour’ as English nomenclature for maida on the label of food products, which does not convey the exact nature of ingredient used for manufacturing of various food items to the consumers as well as enforcement officials,” the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said in an order.

He said, “We are going to initiate drives from May 1 onwards to ensure effective implementation of the FSSAI directive for consumers’ benefit. People can also contact us if they have any complaint in this regard.”

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAMANI NEWS

Omni bus transporting 106kg Gutka seized

120kg gutka products seized

Coimbatore: Food safety officials seized 120kg banned gutka products from a bus near Pappanaickenpalayam in the city on Friday morning.

A team head by food safety officer (FSO) Vijayalalithambigai seized the products. “During our regular inspection, we noticed some sacks atop a private bus, which turned out to be containing the banned products,” an official involved in the inspection said.

Preliminary inquiry revealed that the bus driver was smuggling the products from Bengaluru to Coimbatore. The officials also seized the vehicle.

FDA gears up to ensure mention of ‘maida’, ‘atta’ on food labels

Pune: Officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in Pune are gearing up to implement the recent directive of the food regulator mandating packaged-food companies to label refined flour as ‘maida’ and whole wheat as ‘atta’.

“The food manufacturing companies have been told to comply with the order by April 30, 2019. It means that every food item containing the ingredient needs to clearly mention ‘maida’ and ‘atta’ from May 1 onwards,” said Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner (food), FDA

Elaborating, Deshmukh said, “Currently, quite a few food manufacturers in India mention wheat flour when in reality they use refined wheat flour or maida in their products. Again, many consumers confuse refined wheat flour with wheat flour. The directive will dispel this confusion and make it clear to consumers whether they are having maida or atta.”

Dilip Sangat, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Raigad, said, “This is aimed at bringing clarity in labelling as many packaged food companies use ‘wheat flour’ as general English nomenclature for both atta and maida on product labels.”

The move assumes significance as many companies use these nomenclatures to make health claims about their products such as atta, bread and biscuits. This directive on labelling will help consumers make informed choices while buying such products.

The issue came to the fore when FDA officials in Raigad issued notice to a popular biscuit brand’s manufacturing unit in Khopoli (Raigad district) in Maharashtra.

“The biscuit company claimed wheat flour on the label but in reality it used refined wheat flour or maida to make the biscuits. Similar other raids across the country also revealed the same pattern wherein companies cashed in on the confusion between wheat flour and refined wheat flour. The FSSAI then issued the directive to use maida and atta with English words,” Sangat said. The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) issued the order on February 1 this year.

“It has been observed that the food business operators use ‘wheat flour’ as English nomenclature for maida on the label of food products, which does not convey the exact nature of ingredient used for manufacturing of various food items to the consumers as well as enforcement officials,” the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said in an order.

He said, “We are going to initiate drives from May 1 onwards to ensure effective implementation of the FSSAI directive for consumers’ benefit. People can also contact us if they have any complaint in this regard.”

Kozhikode: FSSAI drive to ensure quality of packaged drinking water

The FSSAI officials had already begun their mission to trace all vendors selling drinking water with a fake identity.

As a first step, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India prepared lists of registered and non-registered suppliers in various parts of the district. FSSAI officials with these lists will examine these companies

Kozhikode: As the demand for the packaged drinking water increases due to the soaring temperature, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, has decided to start an inspection drive to ensure its quality.

As a first step, it prepared lists of registered and non-registered suppliers in various parts of the district.

FSSAI officials with these lists will examine these companies and their water sources and take action against unauthorised suppliers.

It has been receiving many complaints regarding the quality of these packaged drinking water available in the market.

"A large number of 20-litre pet bottles with a fake licence number, brand name and BIS standard mark are available in the market," said an official.

The FSSAI officials had already begun their mission to trace all vendors selling drinking water with a fake identity.

They said that manufacture, sale, storage and exhibition for sale of packaged drinking water without a valid licence from BIS and use of 'ISI' standard mark illegally are punishable under law.

BIS licence is given to the manufacturing units only after thorough scrutiny of the unit and testing facility, besides hygiene. Consumption of uncertified packaged water is unsafe and harmful to health.

The district administration directed Kudumbashree to start a drinking water company under them.

FSSAI would, directly and indirectly, monitor the water quality.

Nano film keeps fruits, veggies fresh for 2wks

Coimbatore: Scientists at the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) are developing a nano film that can extend the shelf life of cut fruits, vegetables and salads by two weeks. The film, made of plant fibres, can also replace plastic film wrappers.

Realising the need for a better post-harvest technology, TNAU has been focusing on ways to extend shelf life of harvested crop and prevent infestations.

“The film can be used to wrap bowls, trays and boxes of cut or uncut vegetables,” said Dr Subramanian, who is on the team developing the film. “The film has ultraviolet-resistance properties and prevents fruits and vegetables from respiring or breathing. Thus, it reduces the oxygen diffusion rate. UV exposure and oxygen diffusion lead to spoilage of fruits and vegetables, especially cut ones. By preventing both the occurrences, we extend the shelf life,” he said.

The nano film is made from plant fibres taken from the banana tree’s pseudo stem or agave americana (century plant).

In the case of banana, the sheath found on the outer portion of the stem is removed and sent to a fibre extraction unit. Such a unit is in Thondamuthur. The unit has a combing machine to press the sheath and scrape off pith. It results in a thin fibre that resembles cotton fibres.

“These white-colour fibres are then cut into 5cm and 10cm-long pieces and treated by dipping in an alkali solution, washing it off, then acid washing it. The treated fibres are then pulverized into a nano liquid,” said Subramanian.

DINAKARAN NEWS

Carbide only for industrial use: HC

Type I Diabetes students carrying pricking device

FSSAI may give relief to craft brewers on yeast count

BENGALURU: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) may allow, at least for the time being, craft breweries to continue making beer with higher yeast content than its newly prescribed norms, which come into effect from April 1.

The move comes following a meeting of the scientific panel of the regulator with the Craft Brewers Association of India (CBAI) earlier this week, where the latter presented its views on the yeast count and said it was difficult to operate under the limits ordered by the regulator. They said the new standards do not improve food safety for the consumer. FSSAI has been concerned that yeast count above the prescribed limit may make the beer unsafe.

The concern stems from the fact that beer, if not stored properly, may develop “yeast and mould” contaminants. But brewers say that the storage is done in safe conditions and containers are deoxidised so that the beer does not come in contact with the external atmosphere.

The regulator, in a gazette notification last year, had said that regular beer or lager should be free of yeast while draught beer should have yeast content of at most 40 CFU (colony-forming units). The notification does not put craft beer into a separate category, which had put the breweries in a tizzy as many craft beers have yeast content as high as 3 million CFU. A variety of craft beer makers have emerged across India in recent years, including Simba, Bira, White Rhino, Toit, Arbor Brewing Company, and White Owl.

While the meeting had no outcome immediately, the panel is expected to present its views soon. “We will wait for the panel to make recommendations and till the time they do, craft brewers can continue producing beer like they have been doing,” FSSAI chief executive Pawan Agarwal said.

The brewers had wanted a clarification whether yeast was being classified as a contaminant or a raw material, one that is a basic ingredient in a beer.

Normal beer undergoes filtration and pasteurisation to reduce the yeast content, a process not applicable for craft beers. The nature and quantity of yeast gives the craft beer, and especially wheat beer, a fruity profile and a light spicy, pepper like character, thus distinguishing it from normal beer.

Wheat beer, both German and Belgian, have emerged as the largest selling drink for many microbreweries in India. If the FSSAI’s rules were to be implemented, it would be a significant hit on the craft brewing industry.

The CBAI has said that in countries such as Germany, UK, Canada and US, there is no limit to the yeast count in beer. Germany’s Hefeweizen typically contains 10 million CFU/ml yeast, while cask ale in the UK is specified to contain at least 100,000 CFU/ml yeast. In Italy, beers that are filtered and pasteurised is not classified as craft beer. “It is not that wheat beer cannot be produced with low yeast content, but then the product will no longer be authentic,” said a microbrewery owner.

DINAKARAN NEWS

Avoid malachite green this Holi

Zomato introduces tamper-proof packaging in 10 cities

New Delhi, Mar 20 () Online restaurant guide and food ordering firm Zomato Wednesday said it has pushed tamper-proof packaging in 10 cities in India to add an extra layer of safety for food deliveries.

The safety seals are made from a single material polymer and are completely reusable and recyclable. The company would also launch biodegradable versions of packaging, Zomato said in a statement.

"This packaging will be 100 per cent tamper proof - once the food is sealed by the restaurant, the packet can only be opened by cutting off the top-end strip," it added.

In the first phase, this packaging is introduced in 10 cities -- Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Nagpur and Vadodara -- it said in a statement.

Subsequently, it would be introduced in over 180 cities where Zomato's online ordering and food delivery services are present, it added.

" 'Zomato Safely Sealed' is our latest attempt at adding an extra layer of safety, ensuring our users receive food as good as it was when it was prepared in the kitchen," Zomato Food Delivery CEO Mohit Gupta said.

Over 5,000 restaurant partners are sealing their food using the packaging, he added.Founded by Deepinder Goyal, Zomato is a restaurant reviews, restaurant discovery, food delivery and dining out transactions platform providing information for over 1.4 million restaurants across 24 countries.

Sodium hydrosulphite found in mawa during raid

Jaipur: Non-edible sodium hydrosulphite has been found during a raid at a mawa manufacturing unit in Lohawat Vayiyon Ki Dhani in Jodhpur district on Tuesday.

Ahead of Holi, the demand for mawa has increased manifold and to cater the need of mawa, some producers of mawa, which is required for preparing sweets, are using unlawful means to cash in on its increasing demand.

“Sodium hydrosulphite is non-edible and it is unsafe for human consumption. We have found that the owner of the firm was using it as clarification agent. It is used to give whiteness and to reduce yellowish colour of mawa,” said Dr Sunil Singh, state nodal officer (food safety), who raided the unit in Jodhpur.

It has been found that the owner was purchasing milk without any fat at a cost of Rs10 per litre. He was also allegedly using refined vegetable oil and to give it whiteness, he was using sodium hydrosulphite.

According to officials, sodium hydrosulphite is also used in preparing jaggery as clarification agent. Since it is not safe for health, the health department destroyed 50kg of mawa found from the unit. The officials said that mawa is prepared by using milk and sugar only. But, to make more money, the some of the owners are using adulterants to prepare cheap mawa, which is unsafe for human consumption.

Also, the health department’s team found that the owner did not have any licence required under Food Safety and Standards Act. The health department officials have collected samples of mawa and sent it for laboratory test.

Besides, there were more such units of mawa but when the health department teams reached to conduct raids, they closed it and fled from the scene.

FSSAI approves 13 food testing laboratories including five private facilities as NRL

FSSAI approves 13 food testing laboratories including five private facilities as NRL

New Delhi, Mar 20 (KNN) Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has approved 13 food testing laboratories including five private facilities as National Reference Laboratory (NRL) under Food Safety and Standards (Recognition and Notification of Laboratories) Regulations, 2018 for specific areas.

FSSAI will provide an annual grant to each NRL as approved by the Authority from time to time.

This grant shall be used for expenditure towards manpower, method development/ validation, training and research activities, sourcing of certified reference materials and proficiency testing/ inter- laboratory comparison, according to the notification.

Any additional expenditure incurred towards method development, training, PT exercise at the request of FSSAI shall be provided at actuals.

NRL covers states like Kerala, Punjab, Pune, Uttar Pradesh, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

FSSAl may also consider partially supporting organizing of annual events by NRLs on prior request by concerned NRL.

The Handbook of Guidelines for National Reference Laboratory and MoU will be shared shortly by FSSAI.

The notification said that the recognition of NRL shall come into effect only after receipt of MoU duly NRL and its acceptance by FSSAI.

Under the Food Safety and Standards the food authority may recognize any notified food laboratory or referral food laboratory, as a reference laboratory for the purpose of developing methods of testing, validation, proficiency testing and training.

The reference laboratory shall be a resource centre for provision of information for certified reference materials and reference materials, develop standards for routine testing procedures and reliable testing methods, provide technical support in the area of competence, evaluate the performance of other notified laboratories, coordinate exchange of information amongst notified food laboratories and collaborate for data generation among the network of notified food laboratories and referral food laboratories and collate the data related to their specific domain.

Mayor vouches for the quality of food at Indira canteens

HIGHLIGHTS

A BBMP food analyst, had produced findings of the test results of Indira Canteens samples from two laboratories.

BENGALURU: On Tuesday in the city, the Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun, two of her predecessors and a few corporators had vouched for the quality of food being provided at Indira Canteens by putting up a stout defence.

A BBMP food analyst, had produced findings of the test results of Indira Canteens samples from two laboratories, and contested the claims which were made by BJP corporator Umesh Shetty on Monday.

"Indira Canteens were started to cater to poor people who can't afford quality food at cheaper prices and it is a hit in Bengaluru. BJP corporator Shetty has tried to politicise the issue in the wake of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Nobody knows when Shetty took the samples and submitted them to the labs. Besides, Ramaiah advanced testing laboratory, where Shetty claimed to have got the tests done, is not authorised to conduct such tests under Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Hence, Shetty's claims are not authenticated," claimed Gangambike.

Gangambike further made an appeal to the citizens by asking them to not fear, as the food supplied at India Canteen is fit for consumption. She claimed that, a BBMP food analyst had taken samples from the Indira Canteens in two wards of Mahadevapura assembly constituency recently and found them to be satisfactory. Further on March 7, the report authenticated that the samples sent for analysis conformed to the FSSAI standards.

Manjunatha Reddy and G Padmavathi, the Former Congress mayors had said that, Shetty was trying to create fear and panic among poor people who were dependent on Indira Canteens for the quality of food.

Holi and the extravagant spread of food from across India

The most vibrant festival of the country is undoubtedly Holi and is celebrated with colours and a massive gastronomic spread.

Green peas kachori.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Different variants of kachoris and pakoras are in abundance on Holi

When it comes to celebrating festivals, India is one country which leads the world. With so many religions and diverse cultures and geographical locations each festival in India has its own uniqueness. It's not just the cultures which differ but even the food traditions vary from state to state.

The most vibrant festival of the country is undoubtedly Holi and is celebrated with colours and a massive gastronomic spread. It announces the arrival of spring, end of winter and a thanksgiving for a good harvest. Each community and region has subtle differences when it comes to dishes cooked at homes. In Uttar Pradesh a lot of women make savouries and begin the process a week in advance.

With new potatoes in the market and good sunlight many variants of potato chips, aloo lachaas and namkeens are put out on the terraces of most of the houses.

Gulabo and kesar thandai are some of the popular dishes served during lunch in this festive period. 

Sometimes five to six families come together to prepare these goodies for the festive season. Sangeeta Khanna, an expert on Uttar Pradesh food traditions, especially Benares, says, "Kathri and Marwari communities make special Kanji vadas for Holi and are perfect to cut the fatty fried foods."

Also different variants of kachoris and pakoras are in abundance. Not to forget the bhang pakoras paired with bhang thandai which is a must-have in all the regions. Bhang or Cannabis first consumed by Lord Shiva on Goddess Parvati's recommendation has now become an integral part of the celebrations. Lassi with bhang leaves and assorted nuts is most commonly consumed during the day. Maneesh Srivastava, a seasoned food writer, says,

"In the Kayastha community in Bihar gujjia, khajja , khoya mal pua during lunch is a norm and mutton for dinner is a must". An interesting fact is that in every part of the country, on this day, people end up eating some kind of mutton dish paired either with poori or steamed rice. In Bengal its kosha mangsho, in Bihar it is mutton curry, in UP it's mutton biryani or kadhai sort of curry and in Maharastra it's again a sukha mutton or a dry preparation of the meat.

The vegetarians satisfy their cravings mostly by making a spicy kathal curry (jackfruit) as it is in season and also a close mock meat. There are some households that do a kathal biryani too. Another common dish is the dahi vada which has variants like, kanji vada , dal vada made both sweet and savoury.

In Jharkhand mutton dhuska is quite common while the Oriyas make chakuli pitha for Holi. Puran Poli, again a very unique dish mainly in Maharashtrian houses, is a part of the festive food. It is basically made out of flat bread stuffed with sweet chana dal with a nutmeg and cardamom filling. Gujjias also differ from region to region as the stuffing changes every few kilometres. From nuts to coconut to condensed milk (khoya) filling, they come in all varieties.

Some people serve it after soaking it in a sugar syrup (chashni) while some avoid it and serve it dry. Even vermicelli stuffed gujjias in Muslim-dominated areas in Benaras are quite popular during the season and are specially made for the fellow brothers celebrating the festival. In Bengal a special sweet called Jilipi is made which has its own unique character and is only made during Holi.

The dish pakohas a close resemblance to the UP Jalebi as it is made with a batter of paneer (cottage cheese) and then dipped in chashni before being served. For many people after a hectic day of colours and fun, hot colourful sabudana papads , crisp bhang pakoras, a portion of mutton curry and a glass of chilled bhang thandai are good enough to end the day on a high.

Order related approved notified National Reference Laboratory (NRL)

Food safety department conducts raids at Delhi sweetshops ahead of Holi

The Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), the apex food regulator has directed food commissioners of all the States and UTs to keep a strong surveillance on milk products.

Last week, Delhi govt’s Department of Food Safety received a tipoff regarding adulterated sweets. 

HIGHLIGHTS

• Special drive will be carried out till 21st of March
• milk products will be checked for adulterants
• Shops in CP, Karol Bagh, Bengali Market being raided

Ahead of Holi celebrations in the city, the Delhi government’s Department of Food Safety is conducting a series of raids at various sweet shops across the city to check the quality of gujjiya (a sweet deep-fried dumpling) and milk products.

Last week the department received a tipoff regarding adulterated sweets being sold in the market which led to food safety officials continuously picking up samples from the shops. These areas include: CP, Karol Bagh, Bengali Market, Chandini Chowk etc.

The special drive will be carried out till 21st of March. The Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), the apex food regulator has directed food commissioners of all the States and UTs to keep a strong surveillance on milk products (specially products like Khoya, paneer, dahi, ghee etc) to check their microbiological quality and presence of adulterants.

Lakhpat Rai Garg, the food commissioner of Delhi said, All sweet shops located in Delhi are under the surveillance of the food safety department. We have received few complaints from public that sub-standard sweets are being sold in the market. Therefore, we have alerted our food safety inspector to pick up as many as samples from the market. All collected samples tested at our laboratory for investigation and the officials will submit a detailed report to us.

So far, we have collected 112 samples of sweets including Cheena, Ghee, Paneer, Koya, Gujjiya, besan ladoo and other milk based sweets are main items on radar. We want to ensure that safe and quality sweet items reach to the consumer. Garg added. In the recent past, the department has picked 179 milk samples and 213 milk products samples respectively.

Out of 179 milk samples, we found 33 samples sub-standard and 3 samples were misbranded. Among 213 milk products, 3 were found unsafe’ and 40 sub-standard and 7 samples were misbranded, informed the official.

Idli Dosa batter mfg units with Rs 12 lakh or above turnover to obtain license from FSSAI, with lower turnover to register themselves

Idli Dosa batter mfg units with Rs 12 lakh or above turnover to obtain license from FSSAI, with lower turnover to register themselves

Coimbatore, Mar 19 (KNN) Taking note of the several unregistered idli and dosa batter making units working in and around the city, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has mandated it for the units with an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh or above to obtain license from it. Whereas, the units with lesser turnovers have to register themselves with the food watchdog.

FSSAI has urged idli and dosa batter makers to register themselves with the Department for running the business irrespective of the sales volume.

According to a media report quoting FSSAI officials, several unregistered units were operating in the city and rural limits serving local needs.

“Idli and dosa batter has very short shelf life. Sale of expired batter will not be permitted. If the product is sold in packets, it should have proper labelling including the date of manufacture and expiry date. Customers should ensure that they are not buying expired product,” said B. Vijayalalithambigai, Designated Officer of FSSAI in Coimbatore.

As many as 127 idli and dosa batter manufacturing units have registered themselves with the FSSAI in Coimbatore district.

Meanwhile, the actual number of such units, especially small scale ones operating in nearby areas is expected to be reportedly more than 500.

FSSAI recently inspected several batter making units in the city and found that many of them were not registered with the regulatory body.

“Units with an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh or above must obtain license from FSSAI to run the business. As of now, three batter manufacturing units have obtained license in the district. During inspections, we have identified units that are into large scale production and advised them to obtain licence. Units with an annual turnover below Rs 12 lakh are mandated to get a registration certificate,” said Vijayalalithambigai, according to the media report.

Mayor says Indira Canteen food safe, cites analyst’s findings

Bengaluru: Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun, two of her predecessors and a few corporators on Tuesday put up a stout defence, vouching for the quality of food provided at Indira Canteens in the city. 

They also produced a BBMP food analyst’s findings on the quality of food samples from select Indira Canteens and contested claims made by BJP corporator Umesh Shetty on Monday. He had produced findings of test results of Indira Canteens samples by two laboratories.

The mayor and her team even warned of serious action against Shetty, if charges framed by him are not proven. Gangambike said she spoke to BBMP commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad and other health officers and asked them to collect samples of cooked and raw food from 16 Indira Canteen kitchens in the city to dispute Shetty’s claims.

“Indira Canteens were started to cater to poor people who can’t afford quality food at cheaper prices and it is a hit in Bengaluru. BJP corporator Shetty has tried to politicise the issue in the wake of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Nobody knows when Shetty took the samples and submitted them to the labs. Besides, Ramaiah advanced testing laboratory, where Shetty claimed to have got the tests done, is not authorised to conduct such tests under Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Hence, Shetty’s claims are not authenticated,” claimed Gangambike.

Gangambike further appealed to citizens to not harbour any fears as the food supplied at India Canteen is fit for consumption. She claimed the BBMP food analyst had taken samples from Indira Canteens in two wards of Mahadevapura assembly constituency recently and found them to be satisfactory.

While samples of tomato bath and shyavige payasa were collected on March 1 from TC Palya, rice kheer was collected from Doddanekundi. The BBMP food analyst, who found their physical appearance satisfactory, said added colour, extraneous matter, presence of insects and rodent hair/excreta were not found. Further on March 7, the report authenticated that the samples sent for analysis conformed to the FSSAI standards.

Former Congress mayors Manjunatha Reddy and G Padmavathi said Shetty was trying to create fear and panic among poor people who were dependent on Indira Canteens for quality food.

Congress floor party leader Abdul Wajeed said there is no truth and credibility in the allegations made by Shetty. Every month around two lakh people consume food prepared and distributed at Indira Canteens, but till today not a single complaint of any individual facing health problems have been reported, he added.

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Food at some Bengaluru's Indira Canteens unfit: Labs

Bengaluru:Items like sambar, bisibele bath and rice served in select Indira Canteens in Bengaluru are not fit for human consumption, say reports from two laboratories.

The confirmation comes nearly three weeks after TOI published a report — ‘Substandard food, poor hygiene take sheen off Indira Canteens’ — on February 27.

The tests, conducted by the government-run Public Health Institute (PHI) and Ramaiah Advanced Testing Laboratory, were commissioned by BJP corporator Umesh Shetty, and found the presence of bacteria and fungus in the samples.

BBMP sources said there isn’t a single complaint of people falling ill after consuming Indira Canteen food and the timing of the allegation appears suspect. Shetty, who represents Govindrajnagar ward, said the idea behind collecting samples originated when he noticed pourakarmikas were not present in full strength during daily mustering. “I was told many absent pourakarmikas were suffering from stomachache, diarrhoea and other stomachrelated ailments. I suspected problems with the Indira Canteen food they were consuming. This forced me to get food samples tested,” he said.

The corporator collected samples from JP Nagar ward (near chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s residence), mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun’s area (Jayanagar), deputy mayor Bhadre Gowda’s Nagapura ward and Byatarayanapura, Aramane Nagar, Govindrajnagar and Mudalpalya wards between February 28 and March 15.

Testing of the sambar samples from the Indira Canteen in JP Nagar, Jayanagar and Nagapura wards showed quality was far from satisfactory on many counts.

INFLATED? BBMP says 21 lakh people, including 16,000 pourakarmikas, eat Indira Canteen food. A corporator saw a scam in numbers quoted

CCTV cameras in canteens not functioning: Corporator

The microbiological quality of the sambar wasn’t within satisfactory limits,” said the PHI deputy director.

Samples of bisibele bath from Byatarayanapura and Mudalapalya wards were also of inferior quality. Escherichia coli (E coli) bacteria found in boiled rice could cause abdominal cramps and vomiting, said Dr Kishore Shenoy of Ramaiah Advanced Testing Laboratory.

Shetty said 16,000 pourakarmikas are provided food from Indira Canteens. He said he would file a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau. He said: “Every day, huge bills are claimed. Why are officials compromising on food quality and safety of people?”

He said the BBMP claims 21 lakh people eat at Indira Canteens, but the reality is different as the numbers are inflated to claim bills. Shetty alleged CCTV cameras in the canteens aren’t functioning.

Deputy CM orders tests

Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara has directed BBMP commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad to test food samples and take action against erring contractors. Saying media reports (on quality of food) could create panic among the public, Prasad said samples of Indira Canteen ingredients and cooked food will be tested in 12 labs accredited to the National Accreditation Board and approved by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.

TIMES VIEW

Offering food at subsidised rates is a time-tested model that several governments have tried to keep their votebanks intact. That apart, Indira Canteens turned to be a blessing for the urban poor though the previous government failed to gain much politically. Now nobody's baby, there seems to be no system in place to monitor their functioning. They now face allegations of serving substandard food in unhygienic conditions. The report that food at some outlets is unfit for consumption is shocking. Instead of indulging in political mudslinging, the authorities must act quickly and fix the mess.

Street food in Mumbai, Ahmedabad 'safe to eat'

The respective state Food and Drug Administration confers ‘Clean Street Food Hub' tag on Mumbai’s Chowpatty and Ahmedabad’s Kankaria Zone

Now, having a plate of bhel puri or the lip-smacking pani puri at Mumbai’s legendary Chowpatty is apparently as safe as it can be. The Chowpatty at Girgaum and Juhu procured India’s ‘Clean Street Food Hub’ certification on March 5, 2019.

This happened within a month after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of Maharashtra cracked down on 27 restaurants across Mumbai, suspending their licences and issuing showcause notices for violating basic food and safety guidelines.

In all, 80 stalls at Juhu Chowpatty and 30 stalls at Girgaum Chowpatty were monitored closely by FDA officials over the last six months. Following that, they were conferred with the tag that “is a seal of assurance that the food has been cooked in clean conditions following hygiene standards, and is absolutely safe to eat,” said Maharashtra FDA Commissioner Pallavi Darade.

Now, all the staff use clean water, gloves, uniforms, caps and have waste-bins lined up at regular intervals. Staying safe is serious business for the stall owners. After all, they get audited by FDA every three months.

The FDA clean tag that Mumbai’s chowpatty earned were on the lines of Ahmedabad’s Kankaria Zone — the country’s first ‘Clean Street Food Hub’ certification earned in September 2018 after the zone’s personnel received intensive training in cooking and hygiene standards laid down and ascertained by officials of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration.

Kankaria houses around 66 street food vendors who cater to nearly 12 million people every year. The zone successfully met FSSAI-framed guidelines to upgrade the infrastructure for existing street food clusters, to make it more safe and hygienic.

The guidelines include garbage disposal practices; maintenance of personal hygiene; demarcating of cooking and non-cooking areas; working street lights; pest control and overall cleanliness.

“We conduct regular raids on restaurants across Mumbai and issue showcause notices to them if they are found violating food and safety guidelines. The idea isn’t to force them to shut shop but to comply with safety norms to ensure that they do not put public health at risk,” said Maharashtra FDA Joint Commissioner (Food) Shailesh Adhao.

In an earlier crackdown, the Maharashtra FDA had found hygiene and food safety violations in 74 per cent of over 500 popular restaurants. A large number of restaurants across Mumbai had ignored mandatory health checks for staff.

“Owing to acute staff shortage that plagues this industry, most of us cannot retain staff for too long. Maintaining records and ensuring they meet hygiene standards is a tough task,” says tea-stall owner Mahesh Trivedi.

The Maharashtra FDA in itself is plagued by staff shortage, with less than 300 food inspectors who have to monitor lakhs of restaurants. However, the recent training drive has received much appreciation from the service sector.

“Now, everything is so professional, unlike in the past. The change is there for everyone to see. FDA has done some brilliant work by training our staff in conjunction with the civic officials,” says Chetan Sharma owner of Sharma’s Milky at Chowpatty.

He added that the ‘Clean Street Food Hub’ tag has helped boost business as well.

“I swear by the quality of the food here,” says 26-year-old copywriter Anshu Goel who has been “binging on Pav Bhaji at a fave stall regularly for over two years now,” and “hasn’t fallen sick even once.” And now, Anshu says, “her mother will stop nagging her about the risks of eating out.”

Adulterated mawa seized ahead of festival

Jaipur: Ahead of Holi, health department’s food safety wing on Monday took action against mawa and milk cake producers for allegedly using dried milk powder and refined oil. Food safety officers seized 25 kg of milk powder and bottles of refined oil from Chitwari area of Jaipur district. Also, 50 kg of adulterated milk cake was destroyed by food safety officers.

The food safety officers have served notices to the firm owner under Food Safety and Standards Act. They said that action will be taken only after they receive the report of test done of the samples taken from the firms. The raids were conducted in Chitwari area of Jaipur district. The officials claimed that the owner of a firm was using milk powder and refined oil as an adulterant. The food safety officers conducted raids at 12 such firms preparing mawa. They have also destroyed 25 kg of mawa on suspicion of it being adulterated.

Also, in another raid conducted in Shahpura of Jaipur district, the food safety wing officials found that the owner of the firm was selling “adulterated” milk cake with the name of “suji cake” and “sweet cake”. “They have started fooling people by selling adulterated milk cake with different names. When we conducted raids, they refused to accept that it is milk cake. They keep the product in big packets of 10-12 kg and sell it to customers by cutting pieces. But, when food safety officers conduct inspection, they show the label on 10 kg packet mentioning it as “suji cake or sweet cake” but when they sell it to the customers, they do not mention that it is not milk cake but it is suji cake,” said an official. He said that they sell it for Rs 300 per kg.

The officials said that the adulterated milk cake is supplied from Alwar’s Khaithal and Ramgarh area. “Milk cake is prepared by using only milk and sugar. But, they are using cheap refined oil and suji for preparing a product which requires less investment and it gives better return to such traders,” he said.

FSDA collects 45 samples, 22 fail test

Meerut: Ahead of Holi, the Food Safety and Drugs Authority (FSDA) collected 45 samples of suspected adulterated food items being sold to the residents here. 22 out of the 45 samples have failed the test. Moreover, five items were found unsafe for consumption, 13 were found substandard and four were found misbranded.

“We had sent a total number of 45 samples to Lucknow testing laboratory. Out of these, 22 samples failed the test. Also, five items were found unsafe for consumption, 13 were found substandard and four were found misbranded. Action will be taken against the food outlets flouting norms as per the law,” said designated officer, FSDA, Meerut unit, Archana Dheeran.

For the first time, the samples taken were sent to Lucknow testing laboratory on the same day to get the reports at the earliest which otherwise took more than a month, added Dheeran.

“Meanwhile, we took 13 samples of suspected food items on Monday and sent them to the Lucknow laboratory. Reports will also be shared soon,” said Dheeran.

The drive against adulterated food items kickstarted ahead of Holi to keep an eye on adulterated items. Special care will be taken to prevent adulteration of ghee, besan, oil, chips, papad, khoya, sweets and others. The areas identified for selling adulterated food items include Khiwai, Sardhana, Naglakhumba, Jainpur, Mawana and others.

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135 quintal ‘atta’ seized from FCS&CA store, samples sent for testing

JAMMU, Mar 16: About 135 quintals of ‘atta’ at new store of the Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA) Department located at Nagrota was seized today by a Food Safety team and after sampling sent for testing in the laboratory.

A Food Safety team led by Food Safety Officer Pervaiz Ahmed today conducted a surprise inspection of the FCS&CA store at Nagrota and seized the whole lot of ‘atta’ which was near about 135 quintals packed in 270 bags of 50 kg weight each. The team also lifted samples of the seized ‘atta’ and sent for its quality testing in the Food Safety laboratory of Jammu.

According to the reports, the seized ‘atta’ were supplied by five different Mills-Durga Flour Mill, Bari Brahmana (8 quintals), Ambika Flour Mill, Seora, Bishnah (40 quintals), National Rural Flour Mill, Gangyal (40 quintals), JK Flour Mill, RS Pura (7 quintals) and Shri Vaishno Flour Mill, Bari Brahmana (40 quintals).

The inspection was conducted under the supervision of Designated Officer Devi Dutt Sharma, and on the directions of Commissioner, Food Safety, J&K, Dr Abdul Kabir Dar. The inspection officers also instructed the store officials not to supply atta in fair price shops till the outcome of the testing report.

The action came as a follow up of the Excelsior story published two days back in which it was highlighted that the sub-standard ‘atta’ is being supplied in Government depots.

Zomato, Swiggy served notices for delivering non-veg food in Haridwar

DEHRADUN: The food safety section of Uttarakhand health department has served notices to officials of Swiggy and Zomato in Haridwar for violating municipal norms by delivering non-vegetarian food in restricted areas of the holy city.

Giving out details, RS Pal, deputy food safety officer, Haridwar, said, “Local residents had complained to city magistrate Jagdish Lal recently. Following which, we were asked to investigate the matter. The two companies failed to show Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence to the teams that had gone to inspect their offices. The firms also had not obtained no-objection certificates from the municipal corporation to deliver non-veg products.”

He added that they violated the bylaws of the holy city and hurt the sentiments of the locals. “The bylaws of Haridwar municipal corporation prohibit sale of non-veg food items and meat products within city limits, including Jawalapur, Har-ki-Pauri, Kankhal, Kharkhari, Motichur and Haripur areas. We have now given them seven days to present their side.”

When contacted, Zomato said in an emailed reply, “We have been working with FSSAI over the past year to ensure that there are no complaints. We have already applied for a licence for our operations in Haridwar. We respect the religious sentiments of the holy city and will oblige with the directives set by the authorities.”

A Swiggy spokesperson said, “We deeply regret the lapse in delivering non-veg food in the restricted area. We have addressed the issue and would like to reiterate that as of March 16, Swiggy is delivering only vegetarian food in Haridwar.” The email further stated, “Swiggy has a central FSSAI licence and only lists FSSAI registered restaurants on the platform.”

FSDA, police recover 500 cans of adulterated oil in Agra

AGRA: In a pre-Holi raid, the Food Safety and Drug Administration (FSDA) and Chhatta police recovered 535 cans of adulterated refined oil from Shankar ki bazaariya area in a joint operation. The stock had been stored in cans of a well-known oil brand to be sold in the market. 

The team however failed to arrest any person in the operation, which took place on Friday late night. According to FSDA, each oil can has a capacity of 15 litre and the value of the all the cans together is Rs 5 lakh.

Speaking to TOI, Ramashish Maurya, chief food safety officer of Agra said, "After a complaint about adulterated refined oil from local retailers, a raid was conducted in Chhatta police jurisdiction and 8,025 litre of foul oil was recovered. The sub-standard oil had been prepared to be sold in containers of a popular soybean refined oil brand."

"An FIR for copyright violation has been lodged by Fortune Oil Company. Meanwhile, we have sent the oil samples for testing, while the police team is searching for the men behind the illegal business," he said.

On March 13, the FSDA and Makhanpur police team of Firozabad district had recovered Rs 5 lakh worth of refined oil and other items, including 148 empty oil cans and 520 stickers of a company on whose name the adulterated oil was being sold in the market.

Packaged food to be marked red if it doesn’t meet safety norms

NEW DELHI: After the advertising and packaging regulations, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is almost ready with the draft labelling regulations under which the packaged food items across the country will carry large red labels specifying if the food is high on fats, sugar or salt (HFSS). 

The draft regulations will soon be released for public comments, Kumar Anil, adviser to FSSAI, said at Centre for Science and Environment’s ‘National Conclave on Food’ on Friday. While the advertising regulations will come into effect on July 1, the packaging norms were implemented recently. 

At the session on ‘regulating bad foods”, large gaps were identified, including in labelling and in claims of companies comparing the nutrient value of their food items to that of healthy products without substantial evidence. Anil assured the audience that the new advertising and claim regulations would keep a tab on the problem.

“We are trying to address claims like pure, real, natural and sugar-free and the new advertising regulations comprehensively cover this. There are parameters for comparison and if you are meeting these parameters, only then you can make a claim. This will be implemented from July 1 to ensure that people are not deceived by any wrong claim by companies,” said Anil.

While the packaging regulations were notified recently, Anil said the new labelling regulations would mark all packaged food items, including the ultra-processed ones, with the ‘red’ mark if they fail to meet the specified standards. Citing examples of sugar and trans fat, Anil said 100gm or 100ml of each item would be taken as the basis with 10% of the total energy coming from sugar warranting a ‘red’ label of high sugar, while 1% of the total energy from trans fat would be taken as beyond the permissible limit.

The draft has taken examples from abroad as well, including Chile that has seen an improvement in eating habits after large warning labels were introduced on the front of all food packets. 

“The draft should help iron out some of the problems and it appears to be strong at this stage. The issue of HFSS regulation has been a long-standing problem and the gaps identified by different groups should help increase consumer awareness, allowing people to make better decisions,” said Sunita Narain, director general of CSE.

Responding to the gaps in regulating marketing tactics of the food industry, Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general of CSE, said, “We must keep a check on HFSS food advertisements targeted at children. A comprehensive framework to effectively regulate advertisements across broadcasting and new-age digital media is missing.”

Cos drop ‘triclosan’ after US FDA ban

Mumbai: Consumer product companies in India are phasing out the controversial anti-bacterial ‘triclosan’ from soap and toothpaste products. The US FDA had banned triclosan from consumer antibacterial soaps and body washes a couple of years ago.

Leading dental care company Colgate-Palmolive (India) has removed triclosan from its toothpaste following a global move by the parent company. Colgate-Palmolive (India) has reformulated its premium toothpaste as New Colgate Total by replacing triclosan with zinc and arginine which, the company claims, makes the new product better than the one with triclosan.

Leading soap maker Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has already phased out triclosan from both its soaps/handwash and toothpaste products, a spokesperson confirmed.

An official spokesperson from Colgate-Palmolive (India) said, “In India, the use of triclosan in Colgate Total was in conformance with the standards prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards and approved by the Indian FDA.” The spokesperson maintained that the US FDA approved Colgate Total with triclosan as “safe and effective” and that approval has not changed.

When triclosan was banned in soaps, the American oral care multinational had reportedly strongly defended the usage of the ingredient in its largest selling toothpaste brand on the grounds that the benefits override any risks associated with the chemical.

In the late ’90s, triclosan was the main point for a marketing and advertising battle fought between Pepsodent and Colgate. It was a time when marketers flaunted the presence of triclosan in their products. HUL came up with an advertisement comparing the efficacies of Pepsodent with Colgate Dental Cream. Pepsodent used triclosan to say that it was “102% better than the ordinary toothpaste”.

The mid-priced Colgate Dental Cream initially did not contain triclosan and it was forced to change its tag line from “ Stops bad breath, fights tooth decay” to “Stop bad breath, fight tooth decay”. It later added triclosan to remain competitive. The warring parties later reconciled because now both brands had triclosan. But following the campaign, HUL managed to take a bite off Colgate’s share. Today, however, Colgate continues to be a market leader with a volume share of around 52%, while HUL’s total share is around 17%.

An HUL spokesperson said, “Pepsodent does not contain triclosan.” What started as concerns on pharmaceutical molecule offerings is now spreading to the soft spaces of consumption items such as toothpaste, talcum powder and more. Brand expert Harish Bijoor, founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, said there’s a need for a complete brand ingredient audit across categories.

The effects of the presence of triclosan in different products is varied and differs from each product, said Ashwin Bhadri, CEO of Equinox Labs, a food safety and auditing company.

Packaged food items high on fats, sugar or salt to have large red labels

New Delhi: After the advertising and packaging regulations, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is almost ready with the draft labelling regulations, under which the packaged food items will carry large red labels specifying if the food is high on fats, sugar or salt (HFSS).

The draft regulations will soon be released for public comments, Kumar Anil, adviser to FSSAI, said at Centre for Science and Environment’s ‘National Conclave on Food’ on Friday. While the advertising regulations will come into effect on July 1, the packaging norms were implemented recently.

At the session on ‘Regulating bad foods’, large gaps were identified, including in labelling and companies’ claims comparing the nutrient value of their food items to that of healthy products without substantial evidence. Anil said that the new advertising and claim regulations would keep a tab on the problem.

“We are trying to address claims like pure, real, natural and sugar-free and the new advertising regulations comprehensively cover this. There are parameters for comparison and if you are meeting these parameters, only then you can make a claim. This will be implemented from July 1 to ensure that people are not deceived by any wrong claim,” said Anil.

He added the new labelling regulations would mark all packaged food items, including the ultra-processed ones, with the ‘red’ mark if they fail to meet the specified standards. Citing examples of sugar and trans fat, Anil said 100gm or 100ml of each item would be taken as the basis with 10% of the total energy coming from sugar warranting a ‘red’ label of high sugar, while 1% of the total energy from trans fat would be taken as beyond the permissible limit.

The draft has taken examples from abroad as well, including Chile that has seen an improvement in eating habits after large warning labels were introduced on the front of all food packets.

“The draft should help iron out some of the problems and it appears to be strong at this stage. The issue of HFSS regulation has been a long-standing problem and the gaps identified by different groups should help increase consumer awareness, allowing people to make better decisions,” said Sunita Narain, director general of Centre for Science and Environment.

Do street food joints at Mumbai beaches meet hygiene standards?

After the FSSAI and Government of Maharashtra awarded the Chowpatty stretches at Juhu and Girgaum a Clean Street Hub certificate, we dropped in to see how they fared on the hygiene and taste fronts

In the song, From the Ritz to the Rubble, popular British indie band Arctic Monkey's vocalist Alex Turner croons, "Well, this town's a different town today; Said, this town's a different town to what it was last night." Turner probably has no idea how these words relate to Mumbai, which is changing all the time. It's also as much Ritz as it is rubble: like the transition from Bandra's quaint alleys to the chaos of Dharavi. But it's alive and how.

It is possible to spot a glimpse of this microcosm in places like the bustling Chowpatty in Girgaum or Juhu, where you will find a burqa-clad newlywed laughing coquettishly as she enjoys spicy pani puri. Beside her, a college-going kid slurps away at a juicy gola, while a touristy firang struggles to eat pav bhaji with his hands.

As these two street food centres cater to so many people, on March 5, the Government of Maharashtra decided to designate them as Clean Street Hubs, after they went through a facelift and passed the audit by the Food Safety Standards Association of India (FSSAI) that confirmed that both destinations had met with the institution's cleanliness and hygiene standards. Read on to find out how both fared when we dropped by.

Grub shup in Girgaum

On a Tuesday night, we arrive at Girgaum Chowpatty glittering in the glow of the freshly installed lights. The stalls have been refurbished and elevated with the help of embankments, and coarse green mats made to replicate grass have been laid out by the sides. One wall sports a bright mural comprising a life-size bicycle. The centre space has a brand new wash basin that appears speckled — a closer look confirms it's food splatter and paan spit.

We also spot green and blue dustbins, demarcated for dry and wet waste. A laudable move towards waste segregation, but a peek inside confirms no one really cares. The cooks and stall owners are dutifully wearing masks and gloves in keeping with the new rules. They seem delighted about the change, the nonchalance of the customers nothwithstanding. We try a few eats.

At Opposite Amar Juice Centre, NA Purandare Marg.

Pani puri: We are not fretting about paying R40 for a plate of pani puri at Sharma Ji stall, while it costs between R15 and R20 on the streets. After all, in India, sanitation comes at a price. Not a fan of ragda, we opt for the one with batata only and ask the bhaiya to skip the sweet chutney, too. We dislike the overtly spicy and flavourless pani puris here and miss the chatpata version we relish near our office in Kalanagar.

Pav bhaji: At Shetty's pav bhaji, the stall-walas are enthusiastic and attentive. Our plate comes soon with a generous dollop of butter and pavs that glisten from the grease. It's a bit much, and the strong kick of over-used garam masala dampens the extravagance. Our verdict? Not worth R100.

Gola: At the far end of Chowpatty, is Daddy's Corner. "Ab toh firangi log bhi aa rahein hain," says Pushpendra, the owner, referring to the clean sweep. We pick the kalakhatta flavour and pay R60 for our treat, and enjoy the sweet, tangy and masaledar taste of the desi popsicle.

Cleanliness/met standards

Variety/average

Ambience/picturesque

Taste verdict/***

Street jam in juhu

On the following day when we head to Juhu Chowpatty, it feels like Saturday. Alan Walker's hit chartbuster, Faded, is blaring from a stall, and the place is crowded.

Dustbins are placed haphazardly, facemasks hang lazily around the necks of thelawallahs, unattended plates lay strewn around the stalls — our first impression is, "What has changed?" "It's a little better," our companion remarks. We move on, hoping that at least the food leaves a mark.

At Beside Dominoes, JBS, Survey No 73, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu.

Sev puri: We ask for a plate of the classic Bambaiyya chaat that comes at R40 at Sai Kripa Bhel Puri and Chaat Centre. The vibrant-looking snack is a perky medley of flavours and we love the tang from the chopped raw mangoes.

Pav bhaji: Maybe Juhu's cleanliness standards are not as high as Girgaum's, but its pav bhaji is definitely better. The amount of butter used is generous, but not overbearing and we enjoy the piquant vegetable mash. The pavs are softer, too. At Krishna Pav Bhaji, a plate of the dish costs R120.

Ice cream falooda: Having had falooda with kulfi forever, we are astounded by this desi-videsi mix and are eager to see what the sweet vermicelli tastes like with ice cream. We opt for the kaju anjeer ice cream falooda at Dreamland where the pocket pinch is R90 per sundae. We relish the dessert that is made with kaju-anjeer syrup, milk, sabja, falooda, anjeer ice cream and dried fruits.

Cos drop 'triclosan' after US FDA ban

MUMBAI: Consumer product companies in India are phasing out the controversial anti-bacterial 'triclosan' from soap and toothpaste products. The US FDA had banned triclosan from consumer anti-bacterial soaps and body washes a couple of years ago. 

Leading dental care company Colgate-Palmolive (India) has removed triclosan from its toothpaste following a global move by the parent company. Colgate-Palmolive (India) has reformulated its premium toothpaste as New Colgate Total by replacing triclosan with zinc and arginine which, the company claims, makes the new product better than the one with triclosan.

Leading soap maker Hindustan Unilever (HUL) has already phased out triclosan from both its soaps/handwash and toothpaste products, a spokesperson confirmed. 

An official spokesperson from Colgate-Palmolive (India) said, "In India, the use of triclosan in Colgate Total was in conformance with the standards prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards and approved by the Indian FDA." The spokesperson maintained that the US FDA approved Colgate Total with triclosan as "safe and effective" and that approval has not changed. 

When triclosan was banned in soaps, the American oral care multinational had reportedly strongly defended the usage of the ingredient in its largest selling toothpaste brand on the grounds that the benefits override any risks associated with the chemical. 

In the late '90s, triclosan was the main point for a marketing and advertising battle fought between Pepsodent and Colgate. It was a time when marketers flaunted the presence of triclosan in their products. HUL came up with an advertisement comparing the efficacies of Pepsodent with Colgate Dental Cream. Pepsodent used triclosan to say that it was "102% better than the ordinary toothpaste".

The mid-priced Colgate Dental Cream initially did not contain triclosan and it was forced to change its tag line from " Stops bad breath, fights tooth decay " to " Stop bad breath, fight tooth decay ". It later added triclosan to remain competitive. The warring parties later reconciled because now both brands had triclosan. But following the campaign, HUL managed to take a bite off Colgate's share. Today, however, Colgate continues to be a market leader with a volume share of around 52%, while HUL's total share is around 17%. 

An HUL spokesperson said, "Pepsodent does not contain triclosan." What started as concerns on pharmaceutical molecule offerings is now spreading to the soft spaces of consumption items such as toothpaste, talcum powder and more. Brand expert Harish Bijoor, founder of Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, said there's a need for a complete brand ingredient audit across categories.

The effects of the presence of triclosan in different products is varied and differs from each product, said Ashwin Bhadri, CEO of Equinox Labs, a food safety and auditing company.