Akshaya Patra midday meal row: Is food without onion and garlic not nutritious?

Akshaya Patra is an organisation which is feeding over 1.76 million children daily in India in order to promote education and eradicating hunger.

The midday meal scheme is often credited for drawing children to schools and also for cut in dropouts, but it has had its share of controversies. The latest row to hit the programme surrounds Akshaya Patra, a charitable organisation run by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), otherwise known as the Hare Krishna movement.

Akshaya Patra claims that it serves 'wholesome' school lunch to over 1.76 million children in 15,024 schools across 12 states in India.

Accusation

It found itself in the midst of a controversy after an article in a national daily claimed that school-children in Karnataka were not happy with the food provided by the organisation as it lacked garlic and onion.

The criticism

Following this, many people bashed Akshaya Patra for forcing its own food preference on the children, while others raised questions about nutrition. Some even claimed that food was being wasted as the children were not eating the meals served by Akshaya Patra.

"The size of a programme doesn't prove that it's working. Children are not eating enough food because onions and garlic play a major part in Indian food. Due to this, there is large amount of wastage of food," claimed Twitter user Sunil Revathi.

Akshaya Patra's answer

However, the claim was countered by TV Mohandas Pai, who is on the board of the trustee of Akshaya Patra.

"You are lying: any data you have to make this statement?" Pai shot back.

Some supporters of the organisation pointed out that food without onion and garlic could be quite nutritious and since it is a charitable organisation, it should reserve the right to decide what it serves as long as it does not violate the norms for midday meals laid down by the government.

Akshaya Patra said that it follows all the norms laid down by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

"We have regular quality audits, food safety audits etc. We have given our blood, sweat, tears and personal monies for our children: we follow norms of MHRD; for this selfless service over 20 years we are being abused!," Pai said.

"We also have 17 ISO 22000: 2005 certified kitchens, which are testaments to our priority of protecting the health of children," the official handle of the organisation tweeted on Friday.

Hot, nutritious meals like this are made fresh daily.

Donate $20 and feed a child for an entire school year. 

After the controversy, many social media users came forward to offer donations to the organisation.

The call for more donation to the organisation was given by author Anand Ranganathan.

"The only way bigoted, illogical, anti-science, Hinduphobic vested interests can be silenced, is when you put your money where your mouth is. Please donate to @AkshayaPatra. And do reply with a confirmation that you have done so. Very grateful. Thanks," he said in a tweet on Friday while giving a link to the donation page of the organization.

The support

While Ranganathan did not reveal the exact amount of money collected after his call, he did mention that the organisation received 510 donation in just 11 hours and the average donation size was Rs 3,800 - which amounts to Rs 19.38 lakh - in addition to Rs 2 lakh in one single donation.

"Just crossed 510 donations in 11 hours. Average donation size now Rs 3,800 excluding the one single donation of Rs 2 lacs. Please keep them coming. Thank you so much everyone, but above all, thank you @AkshayaPatra. You are an inspiration. And the pride of India," Ranganathan said.

Food Safety Day in Kohima

KOHIMA: Under the theme “Food Safety, Everyone’s Business”, the Food Safety Day was celebrated for the first time in Kohima on June 7. Speaking on the occasion, Minister of H&FW, S Pangnyu Phom said, “We are observing the first-ever Food Safety Day in Nagaland along with the rest of the country. Food is one of the essentials of life. 

The paramount requirement for the nation is the availability of safe food in sufficient amount but equally important is the fact that the food we eat, must be free from contamination or adulteration so that the consumption does not cause any ill effects on health.” 

In his keynote address, Principal Secretary-cum-Commissioner, Food Safety Commission. H&FW Department, Himato Zhimomi said that food safety is everybody’s business and it is very important, particularly for the young, because they are the most vulnerable group in the society, stated a DIPR release.

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Preventing Cardiac Ailments in Kids

Fact of the matter

FSSAI Develops First State Food Safety Index to Measure States’ Performance on Five Parameters of Food Safety

The first-ever World Food Safety Day, declared by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018, was kicked-off by Hon’ble Union Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) by recognizing the remarkable efforts of States, Food Businesses and individuals in promoting food safety. The theme for this day was ‘Food Safety, everyone’s business’. Since food touches the lives of everyone, everywhere, a wide cross section of stakeholders ranging from professionals to Government food safety officials, Development Partners, food business operators gathered together to collectively take a pledge to promote food safety for all 130- crore citizens of the country. 

The Prime Minister, in his message recognized that “Food safety is of prime importance for the well-being and health of our nation as well as its people, particularly women and children. The Government is focused on implementing the latest and best standards of food safety in the country.”

In an effort to galvanize states to work towards ensuring safe food for citizens, FSSAI has developed the first State Food Safety Index (SFSI) to measure the performance of States on five parameters of food safety. The Hon’ble Union Minister felicitated seven leading States/UTs based on the ranking for the year 2018-2019for their impressive performance. These were Chandigarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. The categories included Human Resources and Institutional Arrangements, Compliance, Food Testing- Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training and Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment. States such as Bihar, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh followed close behind. 

Following the certification of several ‘Clean Street Food Hubs’ in several cities based on third-party audits and training of street food vendors, now Golden Temple Street, Amritsar has been also recognized as a ‘Clean Street Food Hub’. 

To recognize efforts at the community level to promote food safety, FSSAI has also declared seven campuses such as those of universities, schools, colleges/institutes, workplaces, defence/paramilitary establishments, hospitals and jailsas ‘Eat Right Campus’. Based on a five star-rating by compliance to a set of well-defined benchmarks on food safety and hygiene, food waste management, healthy diets, promotion of local/seasonal food and awareness generation, the following campuses were recognized for their exemplary standards-IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Roorkie, LBSNAA, Mussourie, Unilever and Wipro, Bengaluru, HCL Noida and Genpact, Gurugram. 

FSSAI has instituted the ‘Eat Right Awards’ to recognize the contribution of food companies and individuals to empower citizens to choose safe and healthy food options, which would help improve their health and well-being. The Expert Selection Committee, shortlisted 13 awards out of a total of 123 applications in five categories, namely, Food Products, Food Services, Organized Retail, Innovative Solutions, Safe Food including Testing, and Community outreach and Engagement. Out of a total of 83 applications, 14 awards were given for individual contribution made by young chefs, professionals and media influencers. 

An innovative solution to take food safety to schools, called the ‘Food Safety Magic Box’ was launched. This do-it-yourself food testing kit comprises a manual and equipment to check for food adulterants, which schoolchildren can use in their classroom laboratories. This kit is also useful for frontline health workers. Twenty kits were distributed to Primary Health Centres and Government schools in Delhi with the support of the Delhi Food Safety Department. 

Another new-age, hand-held battery operated device called ‘Raman 1.0’ from Oak Analytics, India was also launched. This device performs rapid detection (in less than 1 minute) of economically driven adulteration in edible oils, fats and ghee. The equipment tests more than 250 samples per battery charge, collects and stores data on the cloud using a smart device. This is the first of 19 such equipment and methods that have been provisionally approved by FSSAI for strengthening the food testing infrastructure in the country. 

To commemorate 150 years of the Mahatma’s 150th birth anniversary, FSSAI had launched the ‘Swasth Bharat Yatra’ on 16th October 2018, World Food Day to spread the message of ‘Eat Right India’. This pan-India cyclothon, the world’s largest for a public health cause, culminated in New Delhi on 27th January 2019. In over 100 days, more than 21,000 volunteer cyclists and 10 lakh participants covered over 20,000 kms, reached over 2100 places and touched the lives of 2.5 crore people, creating awareness on safe & healthy diets. 

A commemorative volume to capture the journey and impact of this yatra was also released by the Hon’ble Minister as a tribute to all the stakeholders who contributed to make this movement a huge success. Further, the promo of a 10-part series on the yatra, shot as a food travelogue showcasing key messages of the ‘Eat Right India’ movement was also released. This series is being telecast on Living Foodz Channel every Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 pm since May 25th and is being telecast from 1st June onwards on Zee Business Channel, at 5:30pm every weekend. 

Gandhiji was the inspiration for the Swasth Bharat Yatra thanks to his non-violent ‘Satyagraha’ to mobilise people for a common goal. His philosophy on food and health is relevant even today. He advocated a simple, whole-foods, plant-based diet, regular fasting and physical exercise for health benefits. To symbolize the ongoing journey towards good health, a statue of ‘Gandhiji on a Bicycle’, the first of its kind, was also unveiled by the Hon’ble Ministers. 

A unique endeavour to mobilize people across the country for safe and healthy food by leveraging the local network and chapters of professional associations such as IDA, NSI, IMA etc., called Network of Professionals in Food and Nutrition (NetProFaN) has been created. A manifesto for NetProFaN was released, encompassing the vision, key objectives, thematic areas of action, activities to be carried out at the ground level and guidelines for functioning. 

The manifesto also outlines a matrix for earning points to get recognition for efforts at the chapter and individual levels. To support these efforts as well as to make knowledge on safe and healthy diets accessible to people at large, FSSAI’s online Web-resource Library was also launched. This library hosts informative and interesting videos on topics such as food adulteration, eating a balanced diet, fortified foods etc. This can be accessed at www.fssai.gov.in/videolibrary. 

Speaking on the occasion, Chief Guest, Hon’ble Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan remarked, “I appeal to all people to adopt Gandhiji’s messages of eating less, safe, healthy, simply, locally and sustainably by reducing food waste and sharing surplus food. I request you all to take this pledge in your own local communities to take this message forward. While FSSAI has done great work, it needs to be used optimally and turned into a Jan Andolan. If we can get India to vote, we can get India to Eat Right.” 

Hon’ble Minister of State, Shri Ashwani Kumar Choubey congratulated FSSAI and quoted scriptures, “Clean food will result in a clean body, mind and thoughts and deeds. For this people’s awareness about safe and healthy food and participation is critical to make an impact on society.” 

The Secretary, Health, Mrs. Preeti Sudan, congratulating FSSAI on accomplishing so much with limited resources and manpower, said “The online resource material, training modules and Eat Right Toolkit have actualized my vision to enable our ASHAs and Anganwadi Workers, the generals in the field to take the message of safe and healthy diets to each and every family at the village level.” 

The Chairperson, FSSAI, commented, “The real tribute to the Mahatma lies in ensuring that safe food becomes the right of every individual and not a privilege of a few.” 

The CEO, FSSAI pointed out, “FSSAI is a very different kind of organization compared to food regulators across the world. First, we have brought food safety and nutrition together in the national health agenda. Second, we focus on consumer empowerment. Third, we work through partnerships and convergence.” 

Thus, with a series of useful resources and initiatives for people and incentivizing safe food practices through multiple recognition systems at the state, city, community, organizational and individual levels, FSSAI has raised the bar for food safety in the country and strives to achieve more as we progress further.

Students sensitized on healthy food habits on Food Safety Day

Madurai: Food safety officials from Madurai district sensitized school students on the best eating practices on Friday, the first World Food Safety Day after the united nations general assembly has decided to observe it on June 7 last year.

With the rise of eating fast food and packaged food habits amongst children, the programme aimed at urging them to get rid of unhealthy food habits, the officials said. Besides students, teachers were educated about healthy substitutes and were asked to sensitise the students. Food safety officials led by designated officer Dr M Somasundaram took part.

Instruction on healthy and unhealthy foods were put on display in the programme where students were introduced to healthy substitutes to packaged foods. At the end of programme, children took pledge against eating unhealthy food.

“Both the health minister and health secretary have zero-tolerance for adulteration and banned additives like coloursin food items,” Somasundaram said.

He said they insisted students not to fall prey to colourful food as they can cause various health problems. A model snack box, consisting traditional food was handed to each student.

Make 'eat less, eat right' campaign a mass movement: Vardhan on first-ever World Food Safety Day

NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan appealed to people on Friday to make the "eat less and eat right" campaign a mass movement to ensure even one grain of food is not wasted and everyone has food to eat.

"Food is everyone's responsibility. Let us pledge to not waste even one grain of food, and ensure that in our own personal capacities and in our institutions, contribute towards food security. This will help to eliminate poverty, hunger and malnutrition," Vardhan said at the first-ever World Food Safety Day celebration organised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) here.

He said the "New India" vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi includes health, social security and nutrition.

Modi has acknowledged the 'Eat Right Movement' of FSSAI in his 'Mann ki Baat' radio address.

Vardhan said health is not only absence of disease and infirmity but the presence of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-ness.

The minister also unveiled a statue of 'Gandhiji on a bicycle' installed at the FSSAI complex.

"As we commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Bapu, the statue symbolises his journey towards good health and shall constantly inspire people for emulating his good health practices," he said.

He further said Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy on food and health is relevant even today.

Vardhan said the people should adopt Gandhiji's messages of eating less, eating safe and healthy food, and also reducing waste and sharing surplus food.

"I request you all to take this pledge in your own local communities to take this message forward. It needs to be used optimally and turned into a jan andolan (mass movement)," he said.

Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey said that clean food will result in a clean body, mind and thoughts and deeds. For this, people's awareness about safe and healthy food and participation is critical to make an impact on society.

Vardhan also felicitated seven leading states/UTs based on the ranking for the year 2018-2019 for their impressive performance. These were Chandigarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

States such as Bihar, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh followed close behind.

In an effort to galvanise states to work towards ensuring safe food for citizens, FSSAI has developed the first State Food Safety Index (SFSI) to measure the performance of states on five parameters of food safety.

The categories included human resource and institutional arrangements, compliance, food testing - infrastructure and surveillance, training and capacity building and consumer empowerment.

Following the certification of several 'Clean Street Food Hubs' in several cities based on third-party audits and training of street food vendors, the Golden Temple Street in Amritsar has been recognized as a 'Clean Street Food Hub'.

Vardhan also launched a new-age, hand-held battery-operated device, called 'Raman 1.0', for rapid detection of economically driven adulteration in edible oils, fats and ghee.

The equipment tests more than 250 samples per battery charge, collects and stores data on the cloud using a smart device. This is the first of 19 such equipment and methods that have been provisionally approved by FSSAI for strengthening the food testing infrastructure in the country.

An innovative solution to take food safety to schools, called the 'Food Safety Magic Box' was also launched by Vardhan. This do-it-yourself food testing kit comprises a manual and equipment to check for food adulterants, which schoolchildren can use in their classroom laboratories. This kit is also useful for front-line health workers.

Twenty kits were distributed to primary health centres and government schools in Delhi with the support of the Delhi Food Safety Department.

Want to know what you’re eating? It’s all in the label

Reading food labels can tell you at least 13 things about a food product. 

On World Food Safety Day, officials stress importance of package information

Reading food labels could tell you at least 13 things about a food product. Most importantly, food labels give information on when the product was manufactured, its ingredients and best before date to ensure its safety.

As the city celebrated the first World Food Safety Day on Friday, food safety officials and consumer activists raised the need for consumers to read food labels and ensure that the food is safe, at an event organised for students by the Food Safety Department, Government of Tamil Nadu and Consumers Association of India (CAI), Chennai.

A. Ramakrishnan, designated officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety Department, Chennai, said as a consumer, one should read the food label that would provide 13 points about the product, including ingredients list, nutritional value, preservatives/flavour agents, manufacturer address, net weight, batch number, date of packing or manufacturing, best before date, how to use and FSSAI license number.

Safe to eat?

Nirmala Desikan, chairman of CAI, Chennai, said the five pillars of food safety were maintaining personal hygiene, maintaining cleanliness of kitchen and its surrounding, checking for adulteration and spoilage and reading food labels.

She added that according to WHO, every year, one in 10 persons fell ill by eating contaminated food, and such food was the cause for more than 200 diseases.

G. Santhanarajan, director, CAI, put forth the need to check for logos on food labels.

Among others, K. Vanaja, Additional Commissioner and Director, Tamil Madu Food Safety Department, was present.

Food that makes you ill

Unsafe food is responsible for millions of sick days 

Every minute, 44 people — more than 23 million per year — fall sick from eating contaminated food, and an estimated 4,700 lose their lives, per year. This is according to a review of the most recent available data entitled The burden of foodborne diseases in the WHO European Region, and it represents only the tip of the iceberg: the true number of cases is unknown.

These findings are presented on the occasion of the first-ever World Food Safety Day on June 7. “Every country around the world, from small to big, from rich to poor, has suffered from foodborne illnesses, and Europe is no exception. The scale of the challenge posed by foodborne disease is striking, indicating the importance of preventing and mitigating risks to food safety,” says Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe.

“Food is a global affair with a food chain that wraps around the planet. A simple meal can easily contain ingredients from multiple continents and its safety depends on international collaboration. World Food Safety Day is an unprecedented opportunity to call on governments to strengthen the systems that guarantee safe food, across sectors and across Europe and the world.”

Unsafe food is responsible for millions of sick days, and can sometimes lead to lasting or severe illness, hospitalisation and even death. The overall burden of foodborne disease in the Region is estimated to be 413 020 disability-adjusted life-years, meaning years in which a person’s life is affected by a disease.

A variety of bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical hazards have potentially serious consequences not only for human health but also for the economy and environment.

Golden Temple street gets ‘clean food hub’ tag

Chandigarh: Punjab has been awarded a certificate of achievement in state food safety index, conferred by the Union health ministry, while the Golden Temple street has been declared as ‘Clean Street Food Hub’ by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

K S Pannu, commissioner, food and drug administration, Punjab, said the certificate has been given to Punjab for achieving the status as one of the states which are catching up in state food safety index (SFSI) in recognition of their overall performance on various parameters of food safety during the assessment period between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019.

Pannu said the food and drug control administration, Punjab, identified the street food hub near the Golden Temple for ‘clean street food hub’ award. “Tourists from India and abroad visit the Golden Temple on a daily basis, so it was decided that food vendors on this street need to be trained and hygiene standards should be upgraded,” said Pannu.

Initial survey was conducted by Food Safety Awareness and Training Organization (FSATO) and district administration in March 2019 which was followed by a pre-audit survey of the street by food drug administration, Punjab, along with other bodies.

In the pre-audit, many deficiencies and gaps were identified and corrective measures were taken to fill the gaps. According to the final audit report submitted to food commissioner, Punjab, it was recommended that food street near the Golden Temple meets 85% of the specified benchmarks of basic hygiene and sanitary requirements and hence can be awarded ‘Clean Street Food Hub’ tag.

State bags food safety certificate

Chandigarh, June 7

Punjab bagged the “Certificate of Achievement” on World Food Safety Day today at a function organised by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry in New Delhi, an official press release said here.

The Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, Punjab, KS Pannu, said the certificate was given to Punjab for achieving the status of one of the states which were catching up in the State Food Safety Index in recognition of their overall performance on various parameters of food safety during the assessment period April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019. The Golden Temple Street, Amritsar, has been declared as the state’s first “Clean Street Food Hub” by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

IIT Gandhinagar becomes India's first educational institute to receive Eat Right Campus Award from FSSAI

The award will be conferred by FSSAI in New Delhi on June 07, 2019, on the occasion of World Food Safety Day. IITGN received a five-star rating in the Eat Right Campus audit, for ensuring food safety and promoting healthy eating.

On the basis of final audit score, the institute is certified as 'Eat Right Campus' with five star rating.

The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) has become one of the first educational institutes in the country to receive the Eat Right Campus Award from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). As per reports, IIT Gandhinagar Director, Prof Sudhir K Jain will receive the award for the Institute on June 07, 2019 at a programme organised by FSSAI in FDA Bhawan, New Delhi, to commemorate the first World Food Safety Day declared by the United Nations General Assembly.

IITGN's initiative:

IITGN had taken initiative in all of their mess, food joints and canteens within the campus. All these are licensed/registered by the Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) Gujarat, trained by the Food Safety Awareness and Training Organization (FSATO) an empanelled training partner and audited by DNV GL Business Assurance India Pvt Ltd (DNVGL), an empanelled third-party auditing agency.

Basis of audit:

The audit is done through a checklist based on five parameters. On the basis of final audit score, the institute is certified as 'Eat Right Campus' with a five-star rating.

• Compliance to food safety and hygiene
• Healthy diets
• Food waste management
• Promotion of local and seasonal foods on campus
• Promotion and awareness of food safety and healthy diets in and around campus.

Announcing the 'Eat Right Campus' award to IITGN, Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, said, "Access to an adequate amount of safe and nutritious food is the key to sustaining life, promoting good health and preventing foodborne diseases. Eat Right Campus initiative of FSSAI is a powerful tool to enable the administration/management to ensure safe and wholesome food for both the residents and visitors to their campus."

"I am glad to see this award going to IIT Gandhinagar and other such institutes across the country. This will help in encouraging other campuses to adopt and promote healthy food practices on campus for the wellbeing of their students and the community, he added."

Upon receiving this special award, Prof Sudhir K Jain, Director, IITGN, said, "The Institute has always followed the core policy of students-first. All of our efforts and initiatives focus on the wellbeing and betterment of our students, faculty and the community. The conscious efforts made by the institute to ensure healthy, nutritious and safe food for all is one of them."

"The 'Eat Right Campus' award by FSSAI is a welcome recognition to the dedicated efforts of our entire team of students, faculty, staff, vendors and vendors' staff. We are grateful to all of them for their commitment to ensuring healthy and hygienic food on our campus," he added.

Eat Right Campus Initiatives by IITGN:

IITGN ensures high standards for the quality of food served at its dining halls and the other eating joints. Appropriate measures are taken to maintain cleanliness and hygiene. All the food joints of the campus have valid FSSAI license.

The institute focuses on healthy food habits; the menu served in the mess is tailored every month by the student mess council for a balanced diet that provides the body with essential nutrition.

Besides, all the food joints use fortified foods such as double fortified salt, rice, wheat flour, oil and milk, to further enhance the food nutrition.

IITGN promotes local and seasonal foods by the inclusion of such vegetables and fruit items in the monthly menu. For unused excess food, IITGN has collaborated with Robinhood Army (a volunteer organization) to collect and distribute the leftover food for the needy.

The Institute has also coordinated with Bio Diesel Association of India (BDAI) for collection of used cooking oil from the eating joints. The used waste food is sent to the in-house bio-gas plant for decomposition to make manure. Awareness programs to reduce food wastage are done regularly.

A notice board mentioning the amount of daily food wastage is displayed outside the dining hall to create a sense of responsibility among the community.

Nagaland pledges to work for food safety

Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Minister, S Pangnyu Phom speaking at the Food Safety Day observation in Kohima on June 7. 

Kohima | June 7

Nagaland today took a pledge to work towards ensuring that all people, especially the poor and most vulnerable, have access to safe and nutritious food.

This pledge was taken during the observance of the first ever World Food Safety Day here today at the Directorate of Health & Family Welfare under the theme ‘Food safety, Everyone’s business.’

Further, the gathering at the programme also vowed to promote safe food, and to prevent, detect, and manage food borne risks.

Addressing the function, Nagaland Health & Family Welfare Minister, S Pangnyu Phom said that the paramount requirement for the nation is the availability of safe food in sufficient amount. He pointed out that the Government of India had passed a comprehensive integrated food law called the Food Safety and Standards Acts 2006.

He informed that the existing state public health laboratory in Kohima is now fully renovated and upgraded with sophisticated high-end equipments, and that a Food Safety on Wheel initiative was also launched for on the spot testing of any food item. It was this team which detected formalin in fish and other chemicals in fruit products last year.

Himato Zhimomi, Principal Secretary cum Commissioner, Food Safety Commission, H&FW Department said that food safety is everybody’s business and very important, particularly for the young as they are the most vulnerable group.

It is estimated that because of food safety issues and other expenses that arise, about $95 billon of food productivity is wasted.

Himato deliberated on some parameters about food safety regarding how the department will govern food safety, and partnerships between the state, market forces and the public to make the state healthier. He also urged for zero tolerance towards food waste in private and professional lives.

Dr. Vikeyie Losu, Principal Director & Addl. Commissioner Food Safety, H&FW stressed on three major health challenges faced by the world; the first challenge is diseases caused by food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites or toxins; the second being non-communicable diseases and the third challenge malnutrition.

He mentioned that all these challenges can be prevented by securing food safety, good nutrition and healthy eating habits.

Losu added that the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India has tried hard to shift the enforcement and detection based approach to a more self regularity paradigm which can be achieved through cooperation and partnership among all stake holders.

He also said that the State Food Safety Team has worked relentlessly to bring about changes in Nagaland. “Food safety is a shared responsibility between government agencies, the food producers, sellers and buyers, therefore everyone should make sure that healthy and nutritional food are being distributed,” he stressed.

FBOs running without licenses cautioned

DIMAPUR, JUNE 7 (MExN): Food Safety Commissioner, I Himato Zhimomi today cautioned those Food Business Operators (FBOs) in the state running/operating their business without obtaining/renewing FSSAI License and Registration from the food Safety Authority.

In a press release, Zhimomi informed that Section 31(1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006 states that “No person shall commence or carry on any food business except under a license”. He notified that FBOs include bakers/sellers, catering agents of all festivals/occasions, canteens and cafeterias of all government or private offices, colleges, hospital boarding houses / hostel serving food, department food article suppliers etc. The Food Safety Commissioner therefore asked all FBOs in the state, irrespective of urban or rural based FBOs, to obtain or renew their FSSAI license/registration from their respective Food Safety Cells, CMO Office of the districts on all office workings days.

Anyone operating Food Business without FSSAI licence or registration will be penalized up to Rs 5,00,000 and imprisonment up to six months under Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, it cautioned.

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Food Safety pitfalls

In India, diverse food habits, practices and centuries-old traditions co-exist alongside the changes brought in by globalisation.

Added to these, scarcity of resources at the household level makes food safety promotion a daunting task.

The United Nations General Assembly in December 2018 resolved to celebrate June 7, 2019 as the first ever World Food Safety day. Given that food safety is the key to achieving Sustainable Develo-pment Goals (SDGs), the United Nations through World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) intends to promote food safety as an important measure in national development. The theme for this year’s celebrations is “Food Safety: Everyone’s business”. When it comes to food safety we tend to see it as a manufacturers’ credence or regulator’s duty to ensure everyone gets safe food. It is important to realise that food safety is determined not only by how food is produced and delivered, but also by issues on the “demand side” — how consumers acquire, cook, store, and consume foods.

Why a new perspective?

Most cases of food-borne illnesses are preventable if food protection principles are followed right from production to distribution. However, this does not fully address consumers’ behaviours that could also introduce risks.

For instance, the WHO campaign — Five keys for safer food — that is extensively used for spreading hygiene messages among food manufacturers and handlers throughout the world, promotes personal hygiene, adequate cooking, avoiding cross contamination, keeping foods at safe temperatures and avoiding foods from unsafe sources.

Such campaigns may, however, result in limited protection unless food safety is also understood and promoted at the household level. Cultural, behavioural and contextual forces shape specific practices along the continuum — from food purchase to preparation and consumption to storage of leftovers for subsequent consumption.

In India, diverse food habits, practices and centuries-old traditions co-exist alongside the changes brought in by globalisation. Added to these, scarcity of resources at the household level makes food safety promotion a daunting task.

Food laws and regulation - Should we think beyond?

The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been spearheading efforts to tighten domestic food laws. While the regulatory and administrative framework is critically important, we also require effective interventions focused on practices at point of consumption or even in home kitchens. Food-borne illnesses continue to pose public health challenge in India, but most of them go unrecorded. Such routine food-borne illnesses may relate to a host of practices at individual and household levels — how food is procured (what quantity/quality and from whom), stored (with/without refrigerator), prepared and consumed.

Individual and social determinants — do they hold the key?

Unlike in many western countries, in Indian homes, semi-processed primary agricultural produce and raw materials are procured from the market before they are further processed and made suitable for cooking at home. In many rural and economically deprived homes, these are often bought in small amounts, usually from local vendors and not in packed forms. When food is sold loose, adulteration is a major food safety concern. Adulteration may be intentional or unintentional (a result of incidental contamination). In both forms, the quality or the nature of the food is altered and could even become harmful. All of us have encountered food adulteration at some point in our lives.

However, this problem is so normalised that we do not consider it to be a health hazard. And lack of awareness of existing food quality control regulations, has further accentuated the problems. Thus, there is a need to raise awareness about food safety issues to empower individuals to hold regulators accountable for enforcing rules against adulteration. But adulteration is only one aspect of food safety.

Hand washing, a behaviour closely linked with food safety, is routine in India, and it is often customary to wash hands in many cultures before handling food.

Studies at National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) show that a large proportion (90 per cent) of household food preparers wash hands before cooking, handling or eating food. Other activities that involve exposure to dirt, like mopping or dusting and handling cattle, are also usually followed by hand washing.

However, normative hand washing does not guarantee that foods are not contaminated, as a great deal of hand washing is largely symbolic and done without using soap. Our studies show that approximately 75 per cent of individuals wash hands only with water and often do not use soap. Some research studies say that soap can reduce the risk of diarrhoeal diseases by 42-47 per cent. The customary practice of hand washing can be strengthened by encouraging routine and universal use of soap.

Availability of safe drinking water is an important factor that is essentially beyond the control of the common consumer, but affects food safety. Many households in India do not have access to piped water. For many episodes of diarrhoeal diseases among adults and even deaths among children below five years of age, lack of protected water is an important reason apart from other factors such as sanitation and environmental conditions. 

The emphasis on clean surroundings and personal hygiene has clearly gained traction with initiatives under Swachh Bharat Movement and these efforts and reiterative messaging should go on.

Cultural sensitivity - why it is the need of the hour?

Inadequate cooking, cross contamination and storage temperatures are also important food safety risks. Studies show that foods cooked thoroughly, not stored for too long or thoroughly reheated are safe for consumption. NIN’s studies in the past have revealed that as many as 80 per cent of households in India prefer to cook food twice a day, and more than half prefer to serve/consume food hot. It is also typical to reheat leftover foods before consumption, but such reheating is not thorough enough to ensure safety. An area of potential intervention is education regarding the importance of thorough reheating.

In many Indian homes, the domestic hearth is an area of purity and sanctity. However, with about 30 per cent of Indians living in poverty, most homes do not have a separate designated kitchen, such that living, cooking and eating occur in a common place or a verandah (corridor).

Studies also clearly indicate that in situations where cooking fuel is difficult to use, households may, in a bid to save energy, prepare large quantities of food in advance and then store it until needed and may not thoroughly reheat before consumption. Many households who used to cook using solid fuels like firewood, coal or cow dung cakes, which release smoke leading to lacrimation and nasal discharge while cooking posing a threat to food safety are now migrating to safe cooking fuels due to government’s Ujjwala Yojana and other schemes. This is a welcome measure.

Why everyone’s business?

Many challenges faced by countries like ours in addressing food safety concerns are multi-dimensional. Low consumer awareness and perceptions of despair could be important hindrances for ensuring safety of food at the individual and household levels. For motivating self-directed changes in individual or household level practices, people need to be given not only the scientific rationale to alter established practices but also the means and resources to do so. Stricter regulation, compliance with global standards of manufacturing, distribution and competitiveness, are necessary, but not sufficient to address the food risks. Unless systemic changes are brought about and enabling environments are created, the perceptions of helplessness may cause consumers to think that food safety measures are meant for others rather than themselves. We have to realise Food Safety indeed is everyone’s business as this year’s theme says.

Eating out? Avoid unhygienic eateries

PATNA: Food safety norms are finding no takers in majority of eateries which have mushroomed in every nook and corner of the city. The guidelines envisaged by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) are seldom followed in most eateries in the city.

According to FSSAI norms, cooks and other food handlers are not allowed to wear rings on their fingers. They are also supposed to use gloves and skull caps. Raw materials should be sourced from only licenced wholesalers or retailers. The ingredients used in making main dishes should also be displayed in the kitchens and cooking vessels should not be kept on floor.

However, the eatery owners do not seem to care much about these norms. Pankaj Kumar (35), who owns a Chinese food stall at Maurya Lok, said, “Who cares about hygiene? We are poor and we need to keep our stomach full anyhow.”

Vinod Kumar, who runs a stall of ‘panipuri’ near Fraser Road, too seemed less bothered about flies invading food items at his stall. “I have a family to run and this is my way of earning. Hygiene doesn’t matter to me,” he said.

Some restaurant owners, however, claimed that they follow food safety norms prescribed by the FSSAI. Roomi Quazi Ekta, who owns a restaurant at Dak Bungalow crossing, said he has strictly instructed his employees to sanitise their hands and wear hand gloves before entering the kitchen. “We do not serve anything which is harmful to the health of our consumers,” he added.

Residents too seem unaware about the manner in which food is prepared and served in hotels. One Madhuri Kumari (19), who was seen eating food at a roadside eatery at Maurya Lok on Thursday, said, “Hotels maintain hygiene but we cannot afford to eat there.”

A senior health department official said eateries and hotels in the city are regularly inspected. “We collect food samples from the eateries and hotels and take necessary action in case of violation of food safety norms,” he added.

State health department principal secretary Sanjay Kumar said people in food business are trained regularly so that they can adhere to food safety norms.

Kaushal Kishore, additional secretary in health department, said, “We had collected around 7,000 food samples from eateries and hotels across the state in the last fiscal (2018-19). Of them, 500 samples were found to be completely below the mark. Action is being taken against the eateries based on the nature of violation of food safety norms. The measures include penalty, prosecution and closure of erring units. We collected around Rs 17 lakh in the last fiscal from eateries violating food safety norms.”

He added, “The inspection is carried out either periodically or randomly. We will soon start video-based online inspection by food safety inspectors.”

Kishore said though the food safety wing of the state health department has only 14 food safety officers, a proposal for increasing the strength to 105 has been sent to the state government. “The central government has also sanctioned Rs 5 crore for upgradation of food safety lab in Bihar,” he added.

Ban on sale of gutkha, pan masala to continue in Tamil Nadu

The State Food Safety and Drug Administration department has extended the ban on sale of gutka, pan masala and chewable food products that contain tobacco and nicotine as ingredients in Tamil Nadu for

CHENNAI: The State Food Safety and Drug Administration department has extended the ban on sale of gutka, pan masala and chewable food products that contain tobacco and nicotine as ingredients in Tamil Nadu for one more year after the ban lapsed in May 23. 

A gazette notification said, “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Central Act 34 of 2006), the Commissioner of Food Safety hereby prohibits the manufacture, storage, transport, distribution or sale of all products chewable or otherwise, either flavoured or scented or mixed with any of the said additive.”

Govt must notify Food Safety and Standards Regulations: CUTS Director

According to a recently published NRAI India Food Service Report 2019, out of a total of 24.9 lakh food business operators in the country, only 4.67 lakh have FSSAI licence

The Centre must notify the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018 at the earliest, which will prove to be an important step in improving food safety standards in the country, George Cheriyan, a member of Central Advisory Committee of FSSAI and director of CUTS International, said.

The first ever 'World Food Safety Day' on the theme of "Food Safety, Everyone's Business" will be observed across the world on June 7, 2019, and the early notification of the regulations will promote and facilitate actions for food safety, he said.

According to a recently published NRAI India Food Service Report 2019, out of a total of 24.9 lakh food business operators in the country, only 4.67 lakh have a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence.

The Rajasthan government had collected 124 food samples from January to May this year which were found unsafe and misbranded, Cheriyan said.

The Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission had also sought a report from the state government regarding rampant food adulteration and subsequent health effects.

Cherian said consumers have a right to safe, nutritious and quality food. Hence, there is an urgent need to ensure the availability of safe food for consumers.

Considering that a large number of people are ordering food online, the online platforms have a responsibility to register only FBOs with a licence on their platforms, he said.

FSSAI nod for 19 food-testing kits

Will release the first edition of the State Food Safety Index on Friday

In a bid to bolster the food testing ecosystem in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has given provisional approval to nearly 19 Rapid Analytical Food Testing (RAFT) kits and devices.

This move will enable food safety officers as well as laboratories to get quicker and validated results for tests conducted on various categories of food products such as milk and edible oils, among others.

Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, said, “We have created guidelines for approval of rapid testing kits, equipment or methods to strengthen the food testing ecosystem in the country. The first set of 19 such kits and methods has been given provisional approval.”

He added that this would foster innovation and also encourage start-ups to work in the food testing space.

New device

As part of the celebrations to mark the World Food Safety Day (June 7), the food safety authority will unveil one of such devices called the Raman Spectrometer (built by Oak Analytics). This is a light-weight battery-powered handheld device that can quickly identify various types of adulteration in edible oils.

Once approved by the FSSAI, State governments can use and equip their labs or food safety officers with these rapid testing kits and devices. Meanwhile, the FSSAI will also release the first edition of the State Food Safety Index, that measures the performance of the States on key parameters of food safety, on Friday.

Agarwal said, “I think this index will sensitise the States about the measures they need to take to strengthen food safety ecosystem in their respective States. We have also decided to release the State Food Safety Index every year on the World Food Safety Day.”

Performance of States

The State Food Safety Index measures the performance of the States on several key parameters such as compliance, food testing- infrastructure & surveillance and consumer empowerment among others. For instance, under the compliance parameter, the States are scored on promptness and the yearly increase in the number of licenses issued, modes of inspections used, number of samples lifted for testing and grievance redressal mechanisms.

FSSAI ORDER

Food safety is everyone’s business: WHO

Common cause: Access to safe food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. 

An estimated 600 million cases of food-borne diseases occur annually around the world

“Food safety is everyone’s business,’’ says the World Health Organisation (WHO) which has released figures that estimate 600 million cases of food-borne diseases occur annually worldwide. This translates into one in 10 people falling ill after eating contaminated food.

“Food safety is an increasing threat to human health. Children under 5 years of age carry 40% of the food-borne disease burden with 1,25,000 deaths every year,’’ said WHO.

A note issued by the organisation said the first-ever World Food Safety Day was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in December 2018 and this year it would be celebrated on June 7 with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) facilitating member-States’ effort to celebrate it.

“Access to sufficient amounts of safe and nutritious food is key to sustaining life and promoting good health. Food-borne diseases impede socio-economic development by straining health care systems and harming national economies, tourism and trade,’’ it said.

Food is the starting point for our energy, our health and our well-being. We often take for granted that it is safe, but in an increasingly complex and interconnected world where food value chains are growing longer, standards and regulations are that much more important in keeping us safe.

“The way in which food is produced, stored, handled and consumed affects the safety of our food. Complying with global food standards, establishing effective regulatory food control systems, including emergency preparedness and response, providing access to clean water, applying good agriculture practices (terrestrial, aquatic, livestock, horticulture), strengthening the use of food safety management systems by food business operators, and building capacities of consumers to make healthy food choices are some ways in which governments, international organisations, scientists, the private sector and civil society can work to ensure food safety,” the health organisation noted.

Food Regulator Wants Exports on Its Plate, Too

FSSAI also suggests liberalisation measures to help cos set up businesses more quickly; proposal to be sent to ministry of health & family welfare soon

New Delhi:

India’s regulator for the foods industry has proposed changes to the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSS Act), seeking to bring within its purview export consignments that have hitherto remained unregulated by a domestic agency.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has also suggested a slew of liberalisation measures, including simplification in the process of acquiring food-business licences, to help companies set up businesses more quickly and easily.

The FSSAI proposal will be sent to the ministry of health and family welfare in the next few days. While FSSAI and the ministry could bring in some of the changes by tweaking regulations, an amendment to the act will require Parliament’s approval.

At present, export of foods does not fall under the purview of the FSS Act. However, the ministry of commerce and export promotion agencies have been seeking expansion in the scope of the foods-related law, as several export markets require licences from the Indian food regulator.

“This is why we want to bring exports under the FSS Act,” said a senior FSSAI official, who did not want to be named.

India’s agri- and processed-food exports rose to ₹1.28 lakh crore in FY19 from ₹1.20 lakh crore in FY18.

FSSAI also wants to do away with the current dual control of the state and the Centre. All businesses involved in manufacturing, processing, retailing, and transporting food services will need only state licences. Companies with multi-state operations will require a licence from the Centre. At present, businesses have to get licences from both the state and the Centre if their size were to cross a critical threshold.

FSSAI has also suggested getting rid of the annual licence renewal process, which witnesses massive delays owing to the staff crunch at FSSAI and state-level food regulators. Instead, businesses will be required to give annual declarations, with some annual fee.

Liabilities in case of an offence will also be defined, according to the proposal. “In case of a labelling error, only the manufacturer will be held liable, unlike now wherein the retailer and the transporter are also held accountable,” said the official, who did not want to be named.

The proposal also suggests relaxing rules for agents and delivery persons at direct marketing agencies and e-commerce companies, which were earlier required to obtain licences from the authority. However, the food business will have to maintain records of delivery personnel and will be accountable in case of any offence.

FSSAI has proposed bringing animal feeds – cattle, poultry, shrimp, fish - under its ambit, in order to control the quality of milk and meat. “During a survey on milk varieties available in market, we found 9.9% of the samples unsafe, majority of them were failing in aflatoxin which is due to animal feed. Unless we have feed control, we can’t control milk quality,” said the officer cited above.

Health teams collect samples of food items

Officials of the Health Department inspect milk products in Kapurthala on Monday. 

Jalandhar, June 3

Starting at 6.30 am with the team of Food Administration Kapurthala, headed by Dr Harjot Pal Singh, Assistant Commissioner, Food and Balwinderjit, Deputy Director from the Dairy Development Board, Kapurthala, along with Satnam Singh Food Safety Officer, carried out a drive against the persons selling spurious milk and milk products (MMP) today under Mission Tandrust Punjab.The team set up a naka at Dhilwan the team checked vehicles carrying food items, especially MMP. Samples were also seized from Sidhwan Dona area.

The food business operators, dealing in milk and milk products were warned to keep and sell only pure and unadulterated MMPs. The team collected eight samples, including three milk samples, one soda, one Haldi powder, one sample of jam, one of chocolate and one rusk sample.These samples have been despatched to the State Food Laboratory, Kharar and the report of the analysis will be made available to the department as soon as possible.

Members of the teams said legal action would be initiated in the court of law against the offenders as per the report of analysis of the State Food Lab, Kharar under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 (Regulations 2011).

Big relief for foodies! Maharashtra FDA issues 83-point checklist for fast food chains

Restaurants serving fast foods like pizzas, burgers, noodles will now need to have to really get their kitchens spruced up. According to a Zee Business TV report, Maharashtra FDA has mandated all the fast food restaurants to obey an 83-point checklist.

According to a Zee Business TV report, Maharashtra FDA has mandated all the fast food restaurants to obey an 83-point checklist.

Restaurants serving fast foods like pizzas, burgers, noodles will now need to have to really get their kitchens spruced up. According to a Zee Business TV report, Maharashtra FDA has mandated all the fast food restaurants to obey an 83-point checklist, in order to avoid strict action. FDA has also made it clear that failing to follow these guidelines in next two months will attract strict action. The checklist is intended to ensure that the kitchen has a hygienic environment and utensils are washed properly. 

FDA Commissioner, Pallavi Darade told Zee Business TV, ''As per the Schedule 4 of Food Safety Act, the facilities at the restaurants should be compliant with the schedule 4. Right from sanitation to cleanliness, the restaurant should follow the guidelines accordingly. We have handed over the checklist to the food chains, and asked them to follow the 83-point checklist in 1 to 1.5 months.''

The kitchen should have ample space to prepare food, cleanliness should be the priority are some of the primary points in the checklist. The guidelines also state that an injured or ill staff member should not allowed to enter kitchen premises. Also the staff involved in food preparation should have an annual medical checkup. It further says that smoking should be banned in kitchen and raw material should be stored at fixed temperatures. 

While fish and meat items should be cooked at correct temperatures and ingredients, spices should undergo regular lab tests. The kitchen should go through regular pest control measures, states checklist. 

The checklist also ensures that the water used for food preparation should be boiled, and food should be hot and fresh before giving it to customers. Also in case the food is being delivered to people, the transporting vehicle should be clean too. Sauces and syrups like ketchups and chutneys should be delivered in containers and raw materials should be purchased only from FDA registered vendors.

Odisha food commission seeks better testing facilities

BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha State Food Commission has urged the government to strengthen food testing facilities in the state. 

In a letter to the health and family welfare department, the commission's chairperson, Ranglal Jamuda, while describing the current situation of food testing facilities in the state, has asked for immediate recruitment of additional staff and opening of more food testing laboratories.

"There is only one state public health laboratory in Bhubaneswar. Even this is not well-equipped. It is under-staffed. Though the building has been constructed for installation of necessary equipment, procurement is progressing at a slow pace," reads the letter of Jamuda.

He said the sanctioned technical positions were grossly inadequate and that the field formation of the food safety organisation was weak. "At the district-level, only one post of food safety officer has been sanctioned. In many districts, this post is vacant," stated the chairperson in his letter to the department.

According to the National Food Security Act of 2013, food samples from different government schemes, including mid-day meal, should be collected on each working day and sent for a test to the food testing laboratory. Besides, officials should collect samples from other food business operators to check their quality.

"The enforcement is very weak in the absence of adequate staff and logistics. The staff at the district-level do not get vehicles to undertake tours. The situation is such that the test reports for even the limited number of mid-day meal samples are received after six months," another commission official said.

The commission chairperson in his request to the health department commissioner suggested that besides strengthening the existing laboratory, steps should be taken to set up more laboratories at the medical colleges. There could also be well-designed courses in each medical college so that the passouts could help strengthen the system, Jamuda said.

Besides testing food samples from government schemes and private food business operators, the State Food Commission is also entrusted with the task of collecting water samples to check their quality. "There has to be a policy decision at the government-level to make the system effective," social worker Alok Kar said.

A senior health and family welfare department official said they had received the letter from the commission and forwarded the same to the government for consideration at a higher level.

"The matter will be discussed and adequate steps will be taken to strengthen the food testing facilities in the state," the official said.

World Food Safety Day

DINAKARAN NEWS

Ban order on Sale of Chewable Food Products

Panel asks Health Dept to set up more food testing labs

Commission Chairperson Ranglal Jamuda in a letter to Health Secretary PK Meherda pointed out that the formations of food safety organisations in the State is very poor.

BHUBANESWAR: Taking serious note of the poor structure of food safety organisation in Odisha, the State Food Commission has advised Health and Family Welfare Department to take steps for setting up of Public Health Laboratory facility in three revenue divisions and medical colleges.

Commission Chairperson Ranglal Jamuda in a letter to Health Secretary PK Meherda pointed out that the formations of food safety organisations in the State is very poor.He said as per the laid down norms, samples from mid-day-meal (MDM), hot cooked meal under Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) and take-home ration needs to be collected on each working day and sent for testing to the food testing laboratory.

“As on date there is only one Public Health Laboratory in the Capital which is testing food samples and even that laboratory is not well-equipped and under-staffed,” Jamuda said.The current situation is so pathetic that even though very limited number of MDM samples are being drawn, the test reports are not made available before six months, he said.

Jamuda advised the Health Department to procure all the lab equipment required at the earliest and re-examine the number of technical posts and sanction early recruitment to pending posts.On field formations of food safety organisation, Jamuda said at the district-level only one post of Food Safety Officer (FSO) has been sanctioned and the rest are lying vacant. Besides, though FSO is a district level officer no vehicle is available for the post to undertake regular tours as a result there are no proper inspections.

“The quality of food is getting compromised due to grossly inadequate enforcement activities in the field,” he said. The Commissioner said the Health Department should set up facilities similar to state health laboratory in all three revenue divisions as well as medical colleges.

Indira Canteen food safe, says BBMP

Bengaluru: Food cooked and served at Indira Canteens in Bengaluru is fit for human consumption, quality tests conducted by the Public Health Institute (PHI) at the instance of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) have revealed.

Samples of lemon rice, veg sambar, white rice, tomato rice and a sweet dish prepared with rava taken from five Indira Canteens in Bommanahalli, Gottigere, Hanumanthanagar–Basavanagudi, Nayandahalli, Kammanahalli and three kitchens at Malleswaram, Yelahanka and Bagalgunte were found to be satisfactory.

Thet tests were commissioned by commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad after BJP corporator Umesh Shetty released a few lab reports, claiming Indira Canteen food wasn’t fit for consumption.

There are 173 canteens and 18 mobile canteens functioning in BBMP limits. On May 28, Indira Canteen cell head S Venkatesh submitted a consolidated report to the Palike chief stating the food served at all the canteens is safe.

Samples pertaining to various dishes submitted before the PHI had to pass the prescribed standards as per Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011. According to PHI test findings, the food had no extraneous matter and no added colour was found in the samples. Physical appearance and microbiological examination conducted on the samples too were satisfactory, the report stated.

However, Shetty too had got the tests conducted from the same government-run PHI and Ramaiah Advanced Testing Laboratory, which had confirmed the presence of bacteria and fungus in the food samples.

The allegations were turned down by Prasad and deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, who claimed food served in Indira Canteens at subsidised rates is edible. Parameshwara, along with mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun, had also inspected the canteens to get a first-hand report.

The administration had raised questions about the samples collected by Shetty, wondering if he had submitted them to the PHI on the same day. It had also raised objections over its officials and other relevant staff not being taken into confidence before conducting the tests.

Erring traders fined in Baramulla

In order to keep a check on prices and ensure the quality of essential commodities during Eid-ul-Fitr, a market checking team headed by Additional Deputy Commissioner Baramulla Mohammad Ahsan Mir inspected various markets of Baramulla town today.

The team, during inspection, imposed a fine of Rs 5100 on erring shopkeepers under various provisions of Weights and Measures and Food Safety Standards Act 2006. The squad also destroyed 48 kg of rotten vegetables and seized 23 kg of polythene from erring shopkeepers.

The ADC on the occasion warned the erring shopkeepers to abide by provisions of Food Safety Standards Act 2006 and sought cooperation from the general public to curb such violations by the shopkeepers.

Junk food to go off shelf from Maharashtra educational institutes, FDA promotes 'Eating Right' scheme

The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration introduced a new scheme in which over one lakh education institutes will be asked to ban foods available with high, sugar, salt and fat content in their canteens.

A Moderate amount of consumption of fats, meat, fish and eggs. She added, that the convenience food is promoted in menus due to its cost-effectiveness and aggressive branding. 

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration introduced a new scheme in which over one lakh education institutes will be asked to ban foods available with high, sugar, salt and fat content in their canteens. These institutes will also be asked to replace the banned products with high carbohydrates, proteins items. 

The main cause behind the initiative is to promote 'Eating Right' scheme, to change eating habits and further reduce chances of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity among youngsters and adolescents. It will be affiliated to the Food Safety Standards Association Authority of India (FSSAI).

According to a report in the Hindustan Times (HT), food items with a high content of salt and sugar are known to lead to various health problems among adolescents. These food items include pizzas, burgers, chips, cold drinks that can lead to an increase of blood sugar, diabetes, hypertension obesity and diabetes. 

Dr. Pallavi Darade commissioner of the FDA told HT as per the dietary pyramid of Nutrition Institute, youth are supposed to have adequate consumption of fruits, vegetables, milk and cereals. A Moderate amount of consumption of fats, meat, fish and eggs.

She added, that the convenience food is promoted in menus due to its cost-effectiveness and aggressive branding. 

Through various campaigns, the FDA will change the eating pattern of students. The education institutes have time till September to implement the newly formed rules and regulations. Reportedly, during October and November, commissioner from the FDA will begin surveying these colleges and schools. 

A similar plan was implemented in May 2017, a government resolution banned junk food from school canteens, however, the plan remained on paper as authorities failed to put a monitoring system in place.

No online food order in Punjab without hygiene rating

Setting three months deadline, the Punjab Government on Thursday directed all the online food order and supply companies to display the hygiene ratings of all the Food Business Operators registered or affiliated with them.

Moving ahead on the quality food assurance agenda of Tandrust Punjab Mission, the directions were issued by the state Health and Family Welfare Minister Brahm Mohindra giving them three months for compliance. The Minister said that after 90 days of issuance of formal communiqué in this regard, “no online food order is to be delivered in the State without hygiene rating”.

Giving details, the state Food and Drug Administration Commissioner-cum-Tandrust Punjab Mission director KS Pannu said that Online Food Order and Supply Companies take online orders from the consumers for the supply of food and deliver the same after procuring it from the food business operators (FBO's) associated with them.

“Under the normal circumstances, the consumer directly approaches the FBOs and therefore, through primary contact, the consumer is aware about the quality of food and the hygienic condition under which food is prepared or served,” he said adding that the online order and delivery mechanism of food supply has created a physical disconnect between the consumer and the food maker.

“Hence, the onus of ensuring the quality of food and the hygienic condition under which food is prepared, has shifted to the intermediate food delivery mechanism. It is in this context that it has been decided on the directions of Health Minister that all the online food orders or delivery companies shall ensure that FBOs registered or affiliated with them have their hygiene rating done from the FSSAI empanelled companies,” he said.

Pannu, divulging into the details of the rating mechanism, said that hygiene rating on a scale of five smilies is undertaken as per the guidelines of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

The National Food authority has empanelled 23 companies to conduct the audit and hygiene rating of FBOs.

A meeting has been held with the representatives of major Online Food Order and Supply Companies operational in Punjab like Zomato, Swiggy, Uber Eats and Food Panda and they have been sensitized on the issue.

“Commissionerate has issued a formal letter to them wherein they have been directed to get the hygiene rating done of all the FBOs registered with them and only those operators who are at higher level of hygiene rating (bearing three or more smilies), should be allowed to supply food under the online food orders or delivery mechanism,” he said.

Pannu added that they have also been told that the website of their companies should contain the details regarding hygiene rating of the food establishments registered with them so that consumer is empowered to take informed decision before placing the online order for food delivery.

Date of rating or inspection is also to be mentioned in the page containing details about the food making unit on the company’s website or portal or App. Besides, the periodical inspection of their registered or affiliated FBOs is to be ensured so that they continue to follow hygiene standards in food preparation and service practices.

It has been mandated that the packaging, in which delivery of food is done to the consumer by the Online Food Order and Supply Companies, should bear prominent information with regard to the status of hygiene rating of the unit supplying the food for delivery to the consumer, said Pannu.

Food Safety Department keeps an eye

At a meeting convened by Tamil Nadu Commissioner of Food Safety by Beela Rajesh, Designated Officers of Food Safety and Drug Administration Department were instructed to conduct inspections at packaged drinking water units across the State.

S Chithra, Designated Officer, Food Safety and Drug Administration, Tiruchi, said that the inspections would begin on Friday and would go on for a week. “There are around 5 units within the city and over 30 across the district. The inspections are meant to ensure supply of clean drinking water,” she said.

All water packaging units supplying bubble top water cans must have four certificates. An Indian Statistical Institute (ISI) certificate, a Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) number, a Food Safety and Drug Administration Department certificate and in case they are sourcing their water from groundwater resources, a certificate was needed for that too. “All certificates must be in order for the unit to function. Without them, the unit will be forced to shut down,” said Ms. Chithra.

There have been violations in the past, Ms. Chithra added.

Samples which will be collected at all units will be sent for quality testing. The samples fall into four categories — unsafe, sub-standard and complied to standards and, genuine. “There are some units, especially near Cauvery river who have dug up borewells and are supplying tankers and drinking water. These will have to be checked,” she said.

Mumbai: Food chains get 83-point hygiene checklist, two months to comply

MUMBAI: Some of the city's top food chains have been handed over a checklist of 83 points related to hygiene, food safety, transportation of food and personal hygiene. They are expected to comply within the next two months. 

On Tuesday, the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials met representatives from Burger King, KFC, McDonalds, Faasos, Mainland China, Wok Express, Barbeque Nation, among many others, and gave them a checklist comprising norms laid down under schedule 4 of the Food Safety Act.

"All these chains are popular and see massive footfall. While most have hygiene practices of their own, we wanted uniformity and compliance under the Act," said Pallavi Darade, FDA commissioner. Most of these chains have 350-400 outlets across the state. "Targeting them for hygiene would mean we are reaching out to a big number," she said.

Among the requirements are updated Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence, prominently displayed in the restaurant premises. The internal structures and fittings have to be made of non-toxic and impermeable material. Walls, ceilings and floors should be free from flaking paint. The checklist also calls for proper segregation of raw material and cooked food as well as vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. An official said that failure to comply with the norms could also mean suspension or cancellation of licence for that outlet.

"We have given the chains two months, following which we will conduct surprise checks," said Darade. When asked if the action was prompted by complaints of unhygienic food, she said, "We get sporadic complaints which we investigate from time to time. But this initiative is to ensure maximum reach"