Apr 23, 2019
Stale food served in six Vizag restaurants
The stale food is being reheated and added with essences to conceal bad odours if any.
The officials collected six samples of food items suspected to be containing non-permitted colours for lab analysis. Cases are being booked by the department under appropriate sections under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
Visakhapatnam: The officials of vigilance and enforcement department have conducted surprise inspections on restaurants in different areas of the city along with food safety department officials on Monday.
According to Vizag Regional Vigilance and Enforcement Office (RVEO) deputy superintendent of police K. Sravani, stale and left-over food items were noticed in six restaurants – Rajugari Dhaba at Yendada, Prince Dhaba at PM Palem, Paradise Restaurant and Kamath Restaurants in Anandapuram, and Grand Alfa and Alifa Spices in Gajuwaka.
During inspections, the left-over food items of previous day were found preserved in freezers to sell on Monday. The officials also noticed using some non-permitted food colours for preparation food items. Out of these restaurants, Kamath has not even obtained license from food safety department for running the restaurant.
The officials collected six samples of food items suspected to be containing non-permitted colours for lab analysis. Cases are being booked by the department under appropriate sections under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
Further, a case was registered against Alifa Spices Restaurant by the civil supplies officials for using domestic gas cylinders for commercial purpose and seized four gas cylinders.
“The stale food is being reheated and added with essences to conceal bad odours if any. This is harmful for health. Sometimes there are chances of food poisoning leading to severe consequences,” the DSP said.
Notice to five-star hotel for storing expired food items
Jaipur: Storage of expired food products at a five-star hotel on Delhi Road in Jaipur shocked the health department officials who conducted an inspection on Monday to check the quality of food items being served in the hotel.
The department also found other discrepancies such as food handlers who did not have any medical fitness certificates, mandatory under Food Safety and Standards Act, were working in the hotel.
The inspection was conducted by health department’s nodal officer (food safety) Dr Sunil Singh.
Dr Singh said that there was no declaration of monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the products. Products which have MSG should mention that it is not meant for use by below one-year-old children and pregnant women.
Moreover, another violation was that the hotel did not have any water testing report.
The food safety team recovered 23 litres of milk with expiry date of March 21, 16 packets of expired semolina, three packets of expired yellow curry paste, bread improver having packaging date of October 4, 2007 with ‘use before one year’ message, two expired soybean packets and two packets of expired pulses.
Also, veg and non-veg food items were found stored in the same deep freezer. Food licence and food safety display board had not been installed. Prepared foods did not have any proper tagging. The team also claimed that they found an open dustbin placed close to the cooked rice. Rose water for cosmetic use was being used in sweets to give it flavour.
The expired products were destroyed by the food safety team of the health department and the hotel was served a notice for the discrepancies.
Apr 22, 2019
ஜூஸ் கடைகளை கண்காணிக்க உத்தரவு
ஜூஸ் கடைகளை கண்காணிக்குமாறு அலுவலர்களுக்கு உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துறை உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.
தமிழகத்தில் வெயிலின் தாக்கம் நாளுக்கு நாள் அதிகரித்து வருகிறது. வெயிலின் தாக்கத்தில் இருந்து பொதுமக்கள் தங்களை பாதுகாத்துக் கொள்ள கூழ், தர்பூசணி, இளநீர், மோர், கரும்பு ஜூஸ், குளிர்பானங்களை வாங்கி பருகி வருகின்றனர். இதனால், சென்னை மாநகர் முழுவதும் ஜூஸ் விற்பனை செய்யும் கடைகளின் எண்ணிக்கை அதிகரித்து வருகிறது.
இந்நிலையில், ஜூஸ் கடைகளை கண்காணிக்க அலுவலர்களுக்கு உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துறை உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது. இதுதொடர்பாக, உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துறை அதிகாரிகள் கூறியதாவது:பழச்சாறு தயாரிக்கும் கடைகளில் பழங்களை சூரிய ஒளி, வெப்பம் படாதவாறு குளிர் பெட்டி அல்லது குளிர்சாதனப் பெட்டிகளில் வைத்திருக்க வேண்டும். பழச்சாறு, குளிர்பானங்களில் பயன்படுத்தப்படும் நிறமூட்டிகள் தரமானதாக இருக்க வேண்டும்.
அழுகிய நிலையில் உள்ள பழங்களை பயன்படுத்தக் கூடாது. சர்பத்மற்றும் குளிர்பானங்களில் அங்கீகரிக்கப்படாத நீலம், ஊதா நிறங்களை சேர்க்கக் கூடாது என்பது உட்படபல்வேறு உத்தரவுகள் பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் இவற்றைக் கண்காணிக்க அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.
Capital’s Butcher:The Bitter Truth and A Call For Redressal.
Despite being the capital city of Nagaland, there has always been an overwhelming sense of anxiety and disappointment on the purchase of butchered meat within the vicinity of Kohima municipality. Unlike other communities in India, these butchered items are the basic essentials and civic needs of the people of Nagaland. From the point of celebration of myriad events to the daily household dinner table, it would be hard to imagine a meal without a non-vegetarian item.But unregulated prices of the pork and the beef meat, and the tampering of the weighing machine, both analogue and digital, by the local butchers are so disappointing and disgraceful.There are instances where two butcher shop lying adjacent to each other charges different prices for the same product. Unlike other municipal district within the state where every part of the meat is assigned different prices, the capital city of Kohima seems to be the only municipality where not only the prices are unregulated but every part of the meat is priced the same. Be it loin, trotters, innards, head or skin, the citizens are made to pay the same price. The beef section is the most disappointing and annoying of all where the usual conversation starts with, ‘kon tu hardy lobo?’ Customers are made to choose from a pool of well-cleaned- off- detached bones without a shred of meat on it weighing at least half the weight of the purchased meat. Aren’t bones supposed to be sold attached to the meat in its original state?‘Being disappointed of buying meat’ is a phrase unheard of anywhere else except in the capital city of Kohima. And yet, the authorities pay no heed to the citizens concern.
While the prices are unregulated, the tampering of the weighing machine by the local butchers is rampant which aggravates the matter. Imagine the disappointment of being slapped on one side of the cheek and before the pain is abated, the other side of the cheek is slapped even harder. Such an act is simply but a robbery taking place on a broad day light under the very nose of the authorities concerned. It is a blatant disregard to a number of penal laws as well as other bye-laws that governs such activities. And yet the authorities give an indifferent shrug to these illegal activities having full knowledge of it. Furthermore, almost 80% of the butcher shops are in a very unhygienic, dilapidated and deplorable condition showing no sign of improvement over the years. Besides, there are instances where stale meat are often jumbled with the fresh meat and sold to the customers.There are many aggrieved but silent citizens who have been a victim to such heinous act of the butchers.One cannot imagine the amount of damage it would do to one’s health on consumption. These butchers have been on the loose for far too long that they don’t seemto be deterred by any punitive measures. Being the capital and the only district chosen under the smart city mission to act as a role model of development for other districts, Kohima Municipality should at least set some hygienic norms and standards so that the remaining districts might inculcate and adhere to it.
Bringing dhaba food from highway to city
HIGHLIGHTS
Around 80% of the top 100 Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) chains of the world hail from the US while India which is 4 times US in terms of population has no brand to boast of being anywhere close to the Top 100 QSR chains.
Hi-Tec City: Around 80% of the top 100 Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) chains of the world hail from the US while India which is 4 times US in terms of population has no brand to boast of being anywhere close to the Top 100 QSR chains.
Indian outlet owners don't want to set scalable processes and they cut corners in hygiene to make some quick bucks and have no control on raw material sourcing. They also largely do not follow the standards set by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
Norfest, a city-based startup, wants to change it all. It has come up with a QSR chain to bring the flavours and cuisines of the north Indian dhaba food from the highway to Hyderabad.
Also Read - Muslims observe night of fortune, forgiveness
"With McDonald's having around 35,000 outlets across the world and around 400 in India, I haven't seen any Indian food outlet chain growing in India. We see McDonald's and another couple of American outlets in every mall here. So, the concept is to bring the Dhaba Food from highways to cities, club it with cafe culture and create Fusion Dhaba," said Prateek Kumar, Founder & CEO, Norfest.
"It had always been in the background to solve some global problem with a scalable model and solution. We were sector agnostic and could have been any industry. Each one of us individually was trying separate ventures before we clubbed together for our common interest in food and beverages. As we went through various industries scouting for problems and solutions food came out to be the top most priority for us.
Hence, we decided to create a highly organised, hygiene-focussed affordable premium scalable QSR chain which would be present in major clusters of India via its three formats and hybrid channel basis such that majority Indians may have access to hygienic food," added Prateek sharing his idea to start this modern chain of Dhaba.
Prateek who was already working in Hyderabad with a leading private banking institution was coming out of its bifurcation mode and poised for high growth. The time was appropriate for them to start with and hence the other co-founders (Arjun and Nikhil) relocated from Delhi to work full-time in the venture and registered the partnership firm in October 2015 with the first outlet coming live in April 2016 in SLN Terminus, Gachibowli. It started with a team of one founder and two co-founders along with five kitchen operations team. Now, they have 60 employees in total including a group head chef and a group general manager.
Currently, they have 6 outlets across Hyderabad in Gachibowli, Hi-Tec City, Madhapur, Punjagutta, Dilsukhnagar, and Chandanagar and are planning to make it 25 by the end of 2020 and are in talking terms to start their outlet's chain in Chennai, Bangalore, and Delhi by the end of May 2019. Their aim is to set 200 to 300 outlets in India by the end of 2025 and to be in top 100 QSR chains of the world.
They operate in three formats Dark Kitchen Model, Service Outlets and 60-80 seater restaurants and currently serve 1,500 customers daily across Hyderabad. They were a part of the Startup Leadership Program (SLP) batch of 2018-19 and are recognised as a startup by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and Government of India (GOI) since 2018.
Apr 21, 2019
Pune: Do not collect food from eateries violating norms: FDA warns online good companies
Pune FDA has recently taken action against restaurants and food delivery apps. The FDA officials have sent notices to around 150 restaurants running without proper license.
'In the action taken by the department, around 150 were found running without proper FDA license, as per Food Safety and Standards Act,' said Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner FDA, Pune.
Deshmukh said, 'The eateries in Pune were illegally serving food to various online application-based delivery firms. We have issued notices against them and asked them to compile.'
'At the same time, we have also warned online food supplying apps like Zomato, Uber Eats, Swiggy and Foodpanda not to collect food from restaurants which are violating FDA norms,' added Deshmukh.
According to FDA officers, for the last two months, they have noticed violations in the quality and hygiene by online food delivery apps.
Akash Patil, a resident of Pune said, 'FDA should make it compulsory for the online food aggregators to maintain the health record of each food delivery boy, to avoid the spread of infectious diseases. FDA should come with more stringent action and people should be made aware.'
Apr 20, 2019
How reliable are food expiry labels?
The truth about expired food and the piles of waste it generates.
Packed food in the US have several types of labels, such as “expiration, use by, best by, sell by, best if used by” which creates lot confusion as to when the food item will actually expire.
London: Have we been wasting perfectly good food all along? A year-long experiment conducted by a US grocer showed that expiry dates are probably wrong.
Normally, one would never eat yoghurt that expired six months ago. But Scott Nash, founder of the Mom’s Organic Market chain of grocery stores in US whipped up a smoothie with it. He saw that it did not have any mould or smell and decided to use it. “I drank and waited,” he wrote on his blog. And nothing happened.
When he realised that going past the expiry date hadn’t spoilt the food, he decided to experiment with more food items. Nash never liked wasting food and thought that by documenting his experience, he could reduce food wastage on a larger scale.
For his next food experiment, he made a batch of pasta. For that, he used cream that was four months past its expiration date, an artichoke and lemon pesto that expired seven months ago, chicken broth more than three months past best-before, meats that were over two weeks old and some tortilla chips that were nearly a year old. Despite using all ‘expired’ ingredients, nothing happened.
This raised a lot of relevant questions: Were the expiry dates wrong or have we been fooled into throwing out good quality food this whole time? Should we all be eating ‘expired’ food then, questions The Guardian.
Packed food in the US have several types of labels, such as “expiration, use by, best by, sell by, best if used by”. It creates lot confusion as to when the food item will actually expire. In the UK, it carries only one label “use by” or “best before”.
Nash also discovered that non-food items like soap, toothpaste and such too have no real expiration date. A specialist from the US Department of Agriculture’s food safety and inspection service said that if packaged goods are kept in good condition, then its contents are safe to eat well past its expiration date, maybe even forever. The can/jar should not be swollen, rusting, dented or leaking. But the FSIS’s website states that there are limits to how long canning will preserve food.
A joint report brought out by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Harvard Law School in 2013 states that a shocking 40% of American food goes to waste each year and it is largely due to the ambiguous labelling on food containers. In the UK, when the label says ‘best-before’, it means that food may not taste or look as good, but it is still safe to eat. But it must not be consumed beyond the ‘use-by’ date.
But a research conducted in the UK said that people threw out nearly 720m eggs last year due to the labelling confusion. The UK has also seen an upward of 7m tonnes a year wastage of food, which could be avoided with a better understanding of the dates.
Andrew Parry of Wrap, a waste reduction charity, said that the date is decided upon a lot of factors such as where and how it is made; how hygienic the space in which it is made is; how consumers will treat it. A degree difference in the fridge temperate can also reduce the shelf-life of the item.
Parry, along with the British Nutrition Foundation and the FSA are categorically telling consumers to not go past the use-by date. Several food-poisoning causing pathogens like salmonella and E-coli can develop in the food items. Even if these pathogens grow to dangerous levels, the food usually looks and smells fine.
Apr 17, 2019
Water units sans licence flourish in Vijayawada
VIJAYAWADA: The business of drinking water in Vijayawada has of late (with the temperature touching 40 degree Celsius mark), attained huge proportions with many unauthorised water plants flourishing in the city. But, surprisingly, the plants pose no threat to business of authorised plants. Almost all households in the city and the adjoining areas, prefer to buy canned water for drinking purpose instead of boiling or filtering tap water.
According to sources in Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), about 350 unauthorised water plants are running in and around Vijayawada.
“Though many plants in the city are functioning without proper licence, the food department cannot take action against them as they do not sell water under the nomenclature of packaged drinking water. They sell drinking water under various other names which do not fall under the category of packaged water. Hence these plants don’t come under our purview directly,” assistant food safety controller N Purnachandra Rao, said.
He also said that the department can take action only if anyone files a case against the water plants. At present, he said that there are only 10 authorised licensees in Vijayawada. The latest licence was given to H2O in Auto Nagar in March.
Meanwhile, the owner of an authorised plant said, “Even though many unauthorised plants are functioning in the city, they do not pose any major threat to our business as the demand for drinking water is very high. Despite stiff competition, we are not suffering any loss.”
The water plants have to undergo a thorough process to get licence. Initially, they have to take permission from the local authorities. Beginning with taking permission for electricity connection, they have to get labour licence and certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Only after undergoing these stages, can they get the licence from the FSSAI.
Is the water sold by unauthorised plants safe for consumption?
When asked, Mrudula, a teacher in Guru Nanak Colony, said, “We have been buying water cans since my childhood. Why complain against them if no one in my family has ever become ill by drinking the canned water?”
Several environment reports and environmentalists suggest that the water supplied in these cans is injurious to health in the long run. “Consumption of water from these cans does not show its effect immediately but ruins one’s health gradually. People are unaware of this fact and thus the business of unauthorised plants never runs into the loss. Though plastic is a renewable resource, it can be reused or recycled only up to a certain limit,” Bengaluru-based environmentalist Nandi Durga Ballu Gowda said.
Artificially ripened fruits destroyed
AHMEDABAD: With the summer setting-in, the consumption of milkshakes and smoothies is bound to go up. As a precautionary measure, the flying squad of the health department of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), on Monday, conducted random checks on commercial establishments selling fruits.
AMC flying squad officials destroyed 130kg stock of artificially ripened fruits that were unfit for human consumption.
That apart, civic authorities also seized a stock of some 400 sachets of ethylene which is used for artificially ripening various fruits, especially mangoes. According to the guidelines issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act, ethylene cannot be used for artificially ripening fruits.
Civic authorities raided some 15 commercial establishments in Shahibaug, Sarkhej, Bodakdev, Nikol, Behrampura, Saraspur, Gota and Naranpura areas of Ahmedabad, among others. Samples of suspicious food items were collected from 10 establishments, said a senior AMC health official.
Apr 16, 2019
Apr 15, 2019
Fat mimicking products set to replace transfat
Official sources said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has agreed to help the state introduce fat mimicking products to cater to the food business industry in the state.
Thiruvananthapuram: In an effort to curb trans fat consumption in the state, the Kerala Commissionerate of Food Safety (KCFS) along with the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) is gearing up to introduce fat mimicking products in the state to replace Vanaspati/Margarine - which is widely used by eateries and bakeries for preparation of proprietary food items especially sweets and deep fried food.
Official sources said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has agreed to help the state introduce fat mimicking products to cater to the food business industry in the state.
"Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are the main culprit and source of trans fat. We have organised brainstorming sessions for food business operators in the state, and we did a live demonstration on how to minimise the trans fat levels in the food products. They are ready to avoid vanaspati/margarine if we can provide alternatives which would give the same quality and texture for the food products," said the official.
Interestingly, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and health authorities have already started collecting samples of food products sold in the state to find the level of trans fat.
The FSSAI has given strict direction to every state to bring down the Trans fatty acids content in edible oils and vanaspati to 2 per cent from the current 5 per cent in the state.
"Finding out the level of trans fats is very necessary. FSSAI officials have come down to the state to collect samples. The state food safety authorities had collected samples of around 150 food products in the state for checking the trans fat levels. Many of the products exceeded the trans fat levels given on the product label," said the official.
Vital Strategies, a New York-based global health organisation, has given training for the food safety officers here for collecting trans fat samples. "Several samples were collected from food chains including Chicking, KFC, and packet foods including cookies. But we don't have an accredited lab facility for taking legal action against violators," said the official.
Apr 13, 2019
Rs 7.5L worth gutka products seized from truck
Trichy: An election flying squad seized banned gutka products worth Rs 7.5 lakh from a mini container truck near old Palpannai here on Friday.
The team led by Tahsildar Renuga intercepted a vehicle during a vehicle check as a part of the model code of conduct for the general elections. The team searched inside the container and found Gutkha items packed in 50 bags. All of them were banned stuffs in Tamil Nadu. The driver of the truck was identified as Kalidass, 33, from Tiruppur. The team handed over the truck loaded with Gutkha and the driver to Gandhi market police. The preliminary investigation brought to light the Gutkha was transported from Bengaluru. The total weight of the consignment was 30 kg.
The driver feigned ignorance on the place of delivery of the consignment. He told police that he was asked to follow a motorcyclist to reach the place to deliver them. As the biker sped away as he noticed the vehicle being searched.
The food safety department officials took up the enquiry to get a clue about the network behind illegal trade as the department has the major role in combating against the invasion of banned Gutkha into the state. Designated officer (DO) of food safety department, Trichy R Chithra visited the police station. “The police told me that they will take care of the case and the investigation,” Chithra told ToI in the evening.
The police sources said that the driver maintained that he had no idea about the sender of the consignment. He told them that he took the vehicle from Hosur only before which it was driven by someone else from Bengaluru to Hosur. As the police could not ferret out anything about the network, they registered a case against him and arrested him.
Tea Board goes for food safety push to uplift quality
Kolkata: The Tea Board of India has issued a circular, directing all tea manufacturing units in the country “to strictly comply with the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) norms and get their end product tested in any NABL-accredited lab” to ensure that the quality of brew sold in India and exported abroad is never compromised.
The Tea Board circular adds: “The test reports should also be submitted to the Board’s zonal office for our information...however, all manufacturing units (both estate factories and bought-leaf factories) are hereby informed that Tea Board Quality Control Laboratory has received NABL accreditation…”
A top Tea Board official reasoned that the circular is needed owing to the continuous revision of the FSSAI Act, 2006, and its amendments in 2018. “As more chemicals and new parameters have been included under the FSSAI Act, our duty was to inform and educate the existing as well as new players in the tea production business,” added the Board official. The FSSAI test for the tea sector includes pesticide residue and heavy metal analysis.
Though small tea growers, who are always criticized for low quality control of their produce, do not come under the purview of FSSAI as primary producers.
The small tea growers’ (STG) body, Cista, welcomed the latest Tea Board circular for compulsory testing of tea for twice a year. Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty, president, Cista, said: “STGs should also strictly follow FSSAI and Plant Protection Code (PPC). We have to ensure our customers that we are producing clean, pure and environment-friendly tea. We have already requested Tea Board to reach out to everybody for training-cum-awareness campaign at the grassroot level.”
The Indian Tea Association (ITA), the premier tea producers’ body, claimed that all its member-producers have always complied with FSSAI testing norms. “However, the Tea Board’s initiative is commendable as it would make the buyers more confident about Indian tea.”
The Tea Board is also organizing a ‘Young Entrepreneurs’ Meet’ for drawing a future roadmap for the morning beverage on April 24. The meet will discuss the steps “needed to be taken to bring quality produce to the market and discouraging the rampant production, sales, export and marketing of low quality tea.
Apr 11, 2019
Apr 10, 2019
No food product can be labelled ‘Fresh’ or ‘Natural’ without permission: FSSAI
FSSAI's new regulation on food packaging
According to a media report, two researchers from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune studied 1,200 Indian food advertisements and observed that nearly 60 per cent of such advertisements are misleading, because of the flowery language and false claim they make. They neither follow the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) rules nor the codes of the Advertising Standards Council of India. To keep a strict check on the food advertisement world, FSSAI has laid down a new regulation. Read to know more about it.
From July 1, food brands will have to procure permission from FSSAI to use such words such as pure, natural, fresh, and authentic while describing products. They will also have to carry a disclaimer about the use of words under the latest FSSAI mandate.
How the categories will be defined?
According to FSSAI, companies can refer to a particular food as ‘fresh’ only if they are unprocessed except for being washed, peeled, chilled, or trimmed. The company needs to make sure that the product is safe and above-mentioned processes doesn’t alter out its basic characteristics. Also, the word “natural” will be permitted only for food derived from a plant, animal, micro-organism or mineral. The end product must not have any external ingredient added to it.
What’s more?
The latest regulation also states that companies and brands using words that mean fresh, natural, pure, etc. – will have to give a clear disclaimer stating “this is only a brand name or trademark and does not represent its true nature.”
What’s the punishment for violation?
Words like ‘organic’, ‘genuine’, and ‘real’ on food products generally attract customer and in case they are not authentic, it creates a false impression for customers and FSSAI as a regulatory body. Keeping this in mind, the new regulation states that in case the brand fails to do so, then the manufacturers will have to pay a fine of Rs. 10 lakh for the violation.
Need for such amendments
According to an official statement released by FSSAI, these regulations have been refined with a perspective of establishing fairness in claims and advertisements of food products and make food businesses accountable for it.
Verdict
Now, next time when you are out for shopping, remember to check the claims mentioned on the food packet and in case of any doubt, social media is always at your rescue to raise the voice.
Safe or Not: Why You Need to Know FSSAI’s Guidelines on Irradiated Foods & Radura Logo
Does the idea of irradiated food make you uncomfortable? Here’s what #FSSAI wants you to know.
Our shopping habits have undergone a considerable change over the years.
Not too long ago, we would purchase vegetables and fruits off the hand cart that did the rounds in the society, but today, ordering them online has become a hassle-free option.
But whether we acquire them from a trusted vegetable vendor every morning or the weekly farmers’ market, we will always be curious about where these essentials come from, what chemicals have been sprayed on them, whether they are organic as they claim to be and what safety measures one must take before consuming them.
Addressing one such concern, the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a statement saying that food products that have been treated with ionising radiation must be marked.
Here are eight things you must know about the ionising radiation process and the marker that you must look out for a while buying irradiated products.
1. According to the latest statement issued by the FSSAI, all food products that have undergone irradiation must carry the ‘Radura’ mark along with the tag ‘treated with radiation’ or ‘treated by irradiation.’
Radura is an international symbol, usually green in colour and resembling a plant in a circle.
2. The process of irradiation includes exposing food products such as fruits and vegetables to ionising radiation like gamma rays, X-rays or electron beams to achieve certain technological objectives.
The FSSAI says that these objectives “include [an] extension of shelf-life, destruction of storage and quarantine insect pests, and killing of parasites, pathogens, and spoilage microorganisms.”
3. Based on the requirements (as per dosage), the applications of food irradiation can be classified as low dose, medium dose, and high dose.
4. As compared to chemicals and fumigants, irradiation is much more effective and does not leave any harmful residue in food. It is equally suitable for both bulk as well as pre-packaged food and is a physical, non-additive process that causes minimal change in it.
5. Several misconceptions about the process have made consumers wary of irradiated food products.
However, the FSSAI assures that this is a safe process that “have inbuilt safety features that prevent human exposure to radiation.”
6. Currently, food irradiation is permitted in over 60 countries including the USA and China. Apart from fruits and vegetables, spices, dry vegetable seasonings, meat, meat products, herbs, and herbal products are the major commodity groups where this technology is used.
7. Several international entities, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), have clarified the misconceptions that may occur with consumers or even policymakers.
“At high energy levels, ionising radiation can make certain constituents of the food radioactive. Below a certain threshold of energy, however, these reactions do not occur. On the basis of experimental studies and theoretical estimates, in 1980, the Joint FAO/IAEA/WHO Expert Committee on the Wholesomeness of Irradiated Foods recommended restricting the radiation sources used in food processing to those with energy levels well below those that induce radioactivity in treated food,” observes the WHO.
8. To clarify the difference between irradiation and radioactive food further, FSSAI says, “Radiation processed foods are those that have been exposed to radiation to bring about the desired technological benefits. Radioactive foods, on the other hand, are those that become contaminated with radionuclides, for example during nuclear accidents. Contamination with radionuclides never occurs during radiation processing.”
The FSSAI guarantees that this process causes no harm to the consumer. To ensure that people are well informed about what processes the food they purchase has undergone, they have made it mandatory to have the Radura mark and tag on the products.
So the next time you are out buying groceries, make sure you look out for the sticker.
Raising the bar of street food in Thiruvananthapuram
When street shops in the city are mushrooming by day, the initiative aims at providing good quality food in clean environments.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Under the 'Clean Street Food Hub,' an initiative of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, street food shops at different parts of the state including Shangumugham will be raised to five star standards. When street shops in the city are mushrooming by day, the initiative aims at providing good quality food in clean environments.
According to the commissioner of Food Safety, Rathan U Kelkar, street food culture is deeply rooted in the minds of Indians, especially Malayalees.
By focusing on local cuisines, the initiative also ensures social and economic upliftment of the street vendor community by helping them improve food quality thereby attracting more customers. "It is a 360-degree approach to Food Safety and Healthy Nutrition. We are trying to build a street food hub at the Shangumugham beachside where customers can have quality food while enjoying nature. Initially, an audit team verifies the street shop and lists down the requirements to gain quality certification. Once rectified, street vendors will be coached on cleanliness. Sessions comprise personal hygiene to food nutrition and health benefits," said Rathan.
The Food Safety Department officials stressed on the need to develop a healthy eating habit in order to avoid lifestyle diseases. "Unhealthy cooking using refined oil and the use of unhygienic ice and water can result in severe health conditions. Hence strict instructions must be followed by street vendors. Lack of washbasins was one of the major problems faced. This will be sorted by making it mandatory to install washbasins in each shop," he added.
Apr 9, 2019
Food additive in crackers, frozen meat worsens flu
New York:
A common food additive found in many products, including frozen meat, crackers and fried foods, could weaken the human immune system against flu, which accounts for 290,000-650,000 deaths globally every year, say researchers. Besides increasing the severity of flu symptoms, the study found exposure to the compound — tert-butylhydroquinone (tBHQ) — could reduce effectiveness of flu vaccine through its effects on T cells, a vital component of the immune system.
During the study, mice fed tBHQ-spiked diet were slower to activate both helper T cells and killer T cells, causing slower clearance of the virus.
“Our studies showed mice on a tBHQ diet had a weakened immune response to influenza (flu) infection,” said Robert Freeborn, postdoctoral candidate at the Michigan State University. “In our mouse model, tBHQ suppressed function of helper and killer T cells. It led to more severe symptoms during a subsequent influenza infection,” Freeborn said.
When the mice were re-infected with a different but related strain of influenza, those on the tBHQ diet had a longer illness and lost more weight. This suggests that tBHQ impaired the ‘memory response’ that typically primes the immune system to fight a second infection, Freeborn said. tBHQ is an additive used to prevent spoilage, with a maximum allowed concentration of 200 parts per million in food products. Since tBHQ is not always listed on ingredient labels, the best way to limit tBHQ exposure is to be conscious about food choices. A low-fat diet and less consumption of processed snacks will help reduce tBHQ consumption, he suggested.
IGNOU plans new online courses on tourism and food safety
NEW DELHI: In its effort to make learning convenient and flexible for the students, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) is planning to start new online courses such as MA in Hindi, certificate course in food safety and certificate course in tourism studies from July 2019. The open university has submitted a proposal to the University Grants Commission (UGC) and is awaiting their confirmation.
“Under the umbrella of Online Courses or Programmes Regulations, 2018 by UGC, we have submitted the proposal for four online courses which includes a two-year masters in Hindi programme and two certificate courses that will be conducted for six months. We will soon disclose the name of the fourth course after getting approval from the UGC,” says Nageshwar Rao, vice chancellor, IGNOU.
“The course structure for all the online courses will be based on the curriculum of similar existing regular courses for which the online examinations will be conducted across 56 regional centres of IGNOU,” he adds.
In 2018, UGC released eligibility criteria of higher educational institutions in India that allowed open universities to conduct online programmes only in those disciplines which were already offering the similar courses in open and distance learning mode and at least one batch has been passed out from the same.
“In our center of online education, we have identified around 85 online courses that include 46 undergraduate and postgraduate certificate programmes, 22 diploma or post graduate diploma courses, two undergraduate, six postgraduate and four awareness/refresher/appreciation programmes,” says Rao while talking to Education Times on IGNOU’s 32nd convocation day.
“For the online courses, the university will adopt four quadrant learning approach that will include digital study material through e-gyankosh, e-learning videos, doubt session with teachers through IGNOU’s web-based TV channel- Gyandarshan and online evaluation,” he adds.
With an aim to establish IGNOU as an online platform of learning, the varsity is planning to conduct regular examinations in online mode. “We are in conversation with the National Testing Agency (NTA) to conduct our online entrance as well as the regular examinations. Although it is difficult to conduct long stretched regular examinations, initially they might just conduct IGNOU’s entrance examinations from next academic year,” says Rao.
PIL claims FSSAI and not MCDs should issue license to meat shops: HC seeks Delhi govt's reply
The Delhi High Court Monday sought a response of the AAP government on a plea alleging that the municipal bodies were still granting licenses for setting up slaughter houses in the city when the power to do so is vested in the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Apart from the Delhi government, a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice A J Bhambhani also issued notice to the municipal bodies in the city and the FSSAI seeking their stand on the plea.
The petition by Gauri Maulekhi, an animal rights activist, has contended that after the FSSAI rules came into effect in August 2011, the food safety authority was the sole competent body to regulate and grant registration or license to slaughter houses and meat shops.
However, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi in September 2011 issued a revised meat shop policy under which it continued to grant registration and licenses to the meat shops and slaughter houses, senior advocate Raj Panjwani, appearing for Maulekhi, told the court.
In the petition, filed through advocate Priyanka Bangari, the animal rights activist has contended that the FSSAI Regulations "specifically regulates and lays down the specific hygienic and sanitary practices to be followed by the food business operators engaged in manufacture, processing, storing and selling of meat and meat products, to obtain the said license to operate".
"Therefore, slaughter houses, meat shops, processing units such as cold storage of meat, etc. are bound by law to obtain license under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 from the FSSAI," the petition has said.
It has also said despite the Director (Regulatory Compliance) FSSAI
writing to the Delhi government in June last year to direct the municipal corporation to withdraw the September 2011 licensing policy, nothing has been done till date.
Erring traders charged Rs 83,000 fine at Ganderbal
Srinagar
The court of Additional Deputy Commissioner-cum- Adjudicating Officer, Ganderbal Showkat Ahmad imposed a fine of Rs 83,000 on a number of traders for violating the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act-2006, Rules and Regulations -2011.
The Food Business Operators were directed to correct the deficiencies found during the course of adjudication in the food products which were processed/packed/manufactured and pumped into the market for consumption of general masses by them.
Apr 8, 2019
Civic drive to ensure food safety standards
Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will soon take up emphatic awareness campaign throughout the city to ensure that the food vendors and the consumers do not compromise with the food safety standards.
"We will be putting up banners and posters with messages regarding food safety and security at strategic locations in the city. We will also distribute leaflets with do's and don't's among common people, food vendors and also street food vendors. The regular inspection by our food inspectors which is going on in full swing on a regular basis will continue," said a senior KMC official of the Food Safety wing. This wing comes under the aegis of the Health department of the civic body.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have certain guidelines for those associated with food business so that the food that they serve to customers conform to standards.
"We will be examining whether the vendors have valid FSSAI licence, whether they are using artificial colours and other requisites in maintaining food hygiene. The use of ice in drinks will also be under strong supervision. We have been conducting raids for the last two years to stop the use of industrial ice in drinks," the official added.
The KMC's food drive has received a major boost with the recruitment of 80 contractual staffs. A team of six officials has been formed for all the 16 boroughs under the civic body for taking up food drive. Each team will be led by a food inspector . The necessary training has already been provided to these new recruitees.
The mobile food testing laboratory introduced by KMC in October last year is used in drive during weekends. It checks food quality right at the spot after picking up random samples from eateries.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)