Fast food centres serving non-Halaal chicken?

Location: 

Hyderabad

The main reason behind the rise in chicken prices is the death of large number of chickens. If a large number of chickens is dying, where does the dead stock go? Are you committing the mistake of eating non-Halaal food by way of eating dead chicken, which is not zabiha?
Fast food business is on the rise in twin cities but we forget that inspite of chicken price hike, fast food centre owners are serving various chicken dishes at the same prices. Is it because they buy dead chicken on low prices?
Few days ago an English daily had published a report which exposed a shocking revelation that 80 percent dead chicken is sold on fast food centres and roadside vendors serving chicken dishes. After this revelation, it was also come to the fore, through an investigation, that the deaths of chickens have immensely increased during the past few months.
A businessman having vast experience of chicken business told that if 1000 birds come out of the farm nearly 50 to 100 of them die. Retail business where majority are Muslim businessmen, they avoid selling dead birds but in wholesale business a particular section do not hesitate selling deadstock. These wholesale companies cut the birds and sell them as frozen chicken. Owner of a famous hotel confirmed that news, saying that in present scenario the fast food centres cannot serve chicken dishes on the cost on which they are serving.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Personnel Hygiene Monitoring / Swab Testing

 

Researches in the domain of Food Contamination show that over 80% of the contamination of regular daily food is attributed to the poor Personal Hygiene levels of the Kitchen Staff and the Food handlers. In such a scenario, majority of the microbial contaminants enter the Food Chain through the Food Handling Staff.

Prime reasons behind such problems are as follows:
1)      Lack of knowledge of Importance of Personal Hygiene in Food Safety.
2)      Ignorance and Negligence of the Food Manufacturers and their staff.
3)      Improper and Irregular Hand Washing and Hand Sanitization Practices.
4)      Lack of knowledge of the appropriate procedures of Hand Washing and Hand Sanitization.
5)      Improper kitchen layout, leading to touching unhygienic parts of the kitchen during Food Processing.
6)      Low levels of Personal Hygiene Monitoring, Certification and Documentation.
7)      Contamination through Food Handlers who are carrying diseases and micro organisms.

Regular monitoring of Personal Hygiene of the Food Handlers with Hand Hygiene Swabs is required to verify effective hand washing techniques and thus reduce the risk of cross contamination in the kitchen.
As a general measure of containing Cross Contamination of Food by the hands of the Food Handlers, in many Food Manufacturing Units the Food Handlers are made to wear gloves. Gloves spread the contamination the same way the hands do. In this case, it is important to take swabs from the gloves to verify that the staff are not working with contaminated gloves and are changing frequently or whenever contaminated.

Food safety mess

Author(s): 

Avimuktesh Bhardwaj 

Traders say Food Safety and Standards Act rolls out red carpet for multinationals

Photos: Sayantan Bera
The Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) of 2006 has not gone down well with food business operators. They say sections of the Act dealing with licensing, registration, hygiene standards, penalty provisions and powers of food safety inspectors are “draconian”.
FSSA, which came into force in August last year, replaces the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA) of 1954. It has set one-year deadline for those engaged in food business to obtain a new licence.
In early May, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) held a conference to launch a nationwide signature campaign to address the problems pertaining to the Act. The conditions laid down in the Act are impossible to achieve by the domestic trade and commerce sectors, says Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of CAIT. “It would endanger the local players and lay the red carpet for multinationals,” he adds.
The Act says vendors should wash utensils under running tap water
Under the Act, all food business operators with an annual turnover of more than Rs 12 lakh need to obtain a licence, while the others have to get registered. According to S Rethinavelu, senior president, Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce and Industries, much has been left to the discretionary powers of the designated officers. “Traders have to rely on them to get their licences, which is tantamount to inviting corruption,” he says. D V Malhan, executive secretary, All India Food Processors’ Association, however, is optimistic. “FSSA has a few problems but that happens with most of the new Acts. We are in touch with the authorities and hope they will take corrective action.”
The uninformed
While the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI) has welcomed the Act, it has some reservations. “Registration of street vendors and small traders under the Act will help them run their businesses legally and this should be done at the earliest,” says Vinod Simon, programme manager, NASVI. The worry is that this could become a tool to harass the vendors, he says.
The process of registration has been slow in most parts of the country. This is of concern, especially, to the small traders and street vendors. If they fail to get registered before the August 5 deadline, they will be forced to shut shops till they get registered. There are about 10 million street vendors in the country. What’s more worrying is that many street vendors are not aware of the deadline at all. A survey of 50 street vendors close to Batra Hospital in south Delhi by Down To Earth found that none of them knew they had to get registered.
The deadline may not be sufficient for the big operators as well. Though CAIT could not put a number to those who will be affected by the deadline, they are demanding an extension.

Twisted demands Some of the provisions in the food safety Act are ambiguous Traders will have to rely on designated officers to obtain licences or get registered Misbranded, adulterated and substandard food have been tagged adulterated Manufacturers have to buy raw material from only licensed or registered vendors

Food safety commissioner of Maharashtra Mahesh Zagade, however, expects the licensing process will be completed on time. He says 160,000 food business operators have already been given licences in Maharashtra.
Where it hurts more
There are many in the unorganised sector who will be caught in a tight spot. FSSA has made it mandatory for all types of edible oil to be sold packed, labelled and marked as per the specifications in the Act. It says no licence will be issued to a manufacturer of vegetable or edible oil unless he has his own laboratory for testing samples. The Act does not explain how big the laboratory should be or what instruments it should have. FSSA thus seals the chances of survival of the unorganised edible oil industry. As per the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, about 90 per cent of the total mustard oil produced comes from the unorganised sector in the country.
The other bone of contention is the hygiene criteria. “Shops and food stalls can be kept clean just like we keep our homes clean,” says H G Koshia, food safety commissioner, Gujarat. Though it makes perfect sense for such a provision to be introduced what is hurting the small traders and street vendors are some of the illogical and impractical demands in FSSA. For instance, the site where food is manufactured, processed or handled should be in “a sanitary place, free from filthy surroundings and shall maintain overall hygienic environment. All new units shall be set up away from environmentally polluted area”. The condition does not define “environmentally polluted area”, but if left to interpretation it could mean a bus station, railway platform or on the roadside which almost covers all the places where the street vendor could set his shop. Then, in order to get registered, the vendors have to ensure that their utensils are cleaned and washed under “running tap water”. “We want to provide hygienic food but water supply is not in our hands and it is unlikely that we will get any support from the administration,” says Simon.
Unlike PFA, the new Act clubs misbranded, adulterated and sub-standard food under the category of adulterated. The traders say misbranding and adulteration are two different issues and should be dealt separately.
For example, a juice seller uses fruits and vegetables as his raw material. These could get contaminated by pesticides and affect the final product. “The manufacturers and traders alone cannot be held responsible for it,” says Khandelwal. Similarly, if a biscuit packet has been misbranded, the manufacturers should be held accountable and not the traders. “Adulteration is a heinous crime and it cannot be treated on a par with misbranding,” adds Khandelwal. The maximum penalty for manufacturing, storing, selling or importing misbranded and sub-standard food is Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively. “No distinction has been made between the seller and the manufacturer. It is unlikely for a trader to be aware of the quality of a packaged product he is selling,” points out Khandelwal.
FSSA states that a penalty of Rs 5 lakh would be imposed if the article sold is not of the quality demanded by the purchaser and is to his prejudice. The vendors, including temporary stall owners, will be fined up to Rs 25,000 for the same act. The vendors say the penalty is too harsh and depends on the whim of food safety inspectors.
FSSA allows manufacturers to purchase raw material from only licenced or registered vendors. This will favour middlemen and eliminate the possibility of buying directly from the farmers. “The cost of getting raw material and finished goods tested by accredited laboratories will make products costly for manufacturers vis-à-vis big industrial houses,” says Khandelwal.
Zagade has denied getting any complaint on the provisions on hygiene or punishment in Maharashtra.

Adjudicating Officer Udh imposes fine of Rs.10,000

UDHAMPUR, June 15: To keep a strict vigil on the quality of eatables, a team of Food Safety Officers under the personal supervision of Designated Officer of Food Safety Act of district Udhampur conducted surprise check of different establishments dealing with food articles and destroyed adulterated milk at different locations enroute Tikri to Udhampur here on Thursday.

Designated Officer, Kavinder Choudhary accompanied by Food safety officers Bharat Bushan and ZulfiKar Ali Malik conducted surprise checks at different milk vending points like Garhi, Rahmbal and Chopra Shop of the district and checked the quality of milk, samples of food items were also lifted from different shops and were dispatched to the concerned quarters for testing purpose.

During their visit, the officers also educated the people about the Food Safety and Standard Act and asked them to cooperate with the department by providing necessary information about the violators so that defaulters can be dealt under the provision Act.

Earlier, Adjudicating Officer, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur, Rajinder Singh has imposed a fine to the tune of Rs.10,000 on a supplier namely Kulbushan Gupta for supplying substandard biscuits to the ICDS Centers of Udhampur under the Act.

Maharashtra to ban gutka, paan masala soon

A week after senior NCP leader and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said so, the state government is all set to ban gutka and paan masala across Maharashtra. It has been observed that consumption of such tobacco products is the main cause of oral cancer.

According to a senior public health bureaucrat, the government will invoke the provisions of the landmark Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, to ban the products. "Under the act, the food safety commissioner has all powers to ban gutka and paan masala. But since this will be a major policy decision, it will be brought to the notice of chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and also Pawar. We are sure we will be able to enforce the ban as early as possible," he said.

Elaborating on the provisions of the act, the bureaucrat said that under section 30, the food safety commissioner has the powers to prohibit--in the interest of public health--the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of any article of food either in the whole of the state or a part for a period not exceeding one year. But the act has a provision, called rule 2.3.4, according to which tobacco and nicotine should not be used as ingredients in any food products. This essentially means that tobacco products can be banned.

The bureaucrat said that in the wake of a protest lodged by anti-tobacco activists and also Ajit Pawar's commitment, a comprehensive proposal to ban gutka and pan masala had been submitted to the government. "It is the responsibility of the food safety commissioner to enforce the ban in letter and spirit. Once the proposal is approved, all measures will be taken to prevent the sale of gutka and pan masala across the state."

On the financial implications of the decision, the bureaucrat said that the state garnered well over Rs 100 crore by way of sales tax on gutka and pan masala.

A decade ago, the government had invoked provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, to ban the two products on similar grounds. Subsequently, more than a dozen manufacturers of the products had shifted their units to neighbouring states. A section of manufacturers had even challenged the ban in the Bombay high court and the Supreme Court.

Now that this act has been repealed, and a new law has come into force (on August 5, 2011) it has been proposed to invoke it to ban gutka. "We have carefully studied the ban order promulgated by Madhya Pradesh and Kerala. We will ensure that there are no loopholes in our proposal," the bureaucrat said. "Simultaneously, we will study the observation of the apex court, which has made it clear that tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products. Our information is that the court has stated that gukta and pan masala are food products."

Unpotable water at govt-run institutions

GUWAHATI, June 15 – A research conducted by voluntary association Jeevan Initiative has found that drinking water supplied in various government-run institutions in Guwahati are not at all safe for consumption. Of the 10 water samples collected from vital institutions, including two hospitals and three educational institutions, all the samples were found far below the prescribed standards.
The samples collected from Guwahati Railway Station, Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) canteen at Paltan Bazar, Inter-state Bus Terminus (ISBT) canteen, Gauhati Medical College Hospital, Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital, Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Latasil Primary School, Guwahati Blind High School, Gauhati University Arts canteen and the court premises of District and Session Judge, Kamrup failed the bacteriological tests conducted by State Public Health Laboratory, Guwahati.
Addressing media persons here, Suresh Ranjan Goduka, editor of the Jeevan magazine said that the water sample tests clearly point out that the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 are not being followed in the State. “It is more disturbing that even the patients and students, including the visually challenged students, are being served polluted water,” he added.
In all the water samples tested, high presence of E Coli and Coliform bacteria have been detected which in enough to declare the water unfit for consumption. According to World Health Organization both the bacteria should be totally absent in drinking water.
In drinking water samples collected from ASTC, presence of E Coli was 2,400 MPN/100 ml, which was 1,100 in Railway Station and Blind High School, 240 in University, 150 in ISBT, 44 in District and Sessions Court premises, 43 in GMC Hospital, 21 in Latasil Primary School, 17 in MMCH and 4 in Kalakshetra. The presence of Coliform was very high in the water samples.
Asking the authorities to take the responsibility of serving non-polluted water to the people, the organization members said that a copy of the lab reports would be soon submitted to the State government.
The video footage of the sources from where the water samples were collected were also shown in the press conference.
Samples collected from drinking water facilities of ASTC canteen, Railway Station, MMCH, and court premises were found to be chemically unsatisfactory. The turbidity in water level was also very high.
“The people have already lost faith on the drinking water supplied by the government. Even in the government meetings and functions, packaged drinking water is served to the guests, which indicates that even the government representatives do not trust their drinking water facility. But, it is an injustice to those who cannot afford packaged drinking water,” he added.
Educationist Dr Anil Kr Goswami released the 19-page report prepared by the organization on the lab tests of water samples.

Chinese dairy maker Yili recalls baby formula tainted with mercury

BEIJING: Chinese dairy maker Yili said it had started recalling batches of baby formula after authorities found they contained high levels of mercury, in the latest food safety scare to hit the country.

The company began the recall on Wednesday after a national food safety monitoring system detected "abnormal" levels of mercury in the products, state-owned Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group said in a statement.

The recall covers baby formula produced from November 2011 to May 2012, according to the statement posted Thursday.

The firm did not state how much baby formula was affected or how mercury - which is extremely toxic and can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system at high exposure - made its way into the products.

China's quality watchdog said Thursday it had carried out an "urgent monitoring" of 715 samples of baby formula by various producers following the Yili case, but so far no other products were found to be unsafe.

However, authorities were unable to collect samples from 20 firms because they had suspended production of baby formula, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said in a statement.

It was unclear when they stopped production and whether this was linked to the mercury scare.

Currently, 119 companies in China manufacture baby formula, state media cited Ma Chunliang, an official with AQSIQ, as saying last month.

China's dairy industry is prone to safety scares.

In 2008, milk was at the centre of one of China's biggest food safety scandals when the industrial chemical melamine was found to have been illegally added to dairy products to give the appearance of higher protein content.

Since then, many Chinese people remain suspicious of domestically produced milk after six children died and 300,000 others fell ill in the scandal, which also involved Yili products.

Critics say the hygiene standards that China's dairy farms must adhere to are among the world's lowest, with the levels of bacteria permissible in milk four times as high as in most Western countries.

There have been accusations that the government, keen to ensure China's growing demand for milk is catered to, is giving in to an increasingly powerful dairy industry dominated by Yili and another dairy giant Mengniu.

Yili shares were down by the maximum 10 per cent daily limit at 21.85 yuan ($3.4) in Shanghai on midday Thursday, bucking the rising trend in the broader market.

Check sale, stocking of pan masala, gutka

Police should see to it that such items are not available

A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court on Thursday directed the State government to take steps to seize and destroy pan masala and gutkha containing tobacco and nicotine after June 15 in terms of a government order banning manufacture, sale, and distribution of these items in the State.

The Bench comprising Justice C.N. Ramachandran Nair and Justice C.K. Abdul Rehim issued the directive while disposing of a public interest writ petition in this regard.

The court directed the State government to take steps to check the clandestine stocking and sale of the banned pan masala and gutkha after June 15. Government agencies, including the police, should ensure that such prohibited items would no longer be available in the State.

Meanwhile, Justice T.R. Ramachandran Nair referred to a Division Bench a writ petition filed by the manufacturers challenging the ban order in view of the public interest involved in the case.

The government in an affidavit said the ban order had been issued in the interest of public safety and health. It said the question of giving the manufacturers an opportunity of hearing did not arise as the order had been issued under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

Needs to enforce Food Safety and Standard Act

JAMMU: All J and K Movement for Peace and Justice criticised the ongoing campaign of Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) i.e to impress the authorities against the implementation of Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 and also termed it total illogical in view of bulk sale of eatable sub standards in the country.
While addressing the press conference here on Thursday, movement member, Deep Singh said that in view of large scale unchecked adulteration and the deteriorating conditions of eatables, such an Act was need to be enforced fifteen years back. It is quite surprising that our business community which is also a part of system and while ignoring its duties towards the nation seems self forced always, Singh further added. Before opposing the entry of multi-national companies into retail business of India, business organisations like Confederation of All India Tenders (CAIT) and Jammu Chamber of Commerce should stress up on their members against the unfair practice and support the government for reforms as improvement in the internal system can only create a cordial atmosphere and will help in restraining the foreign investment, he further expressed.

Implement Food Safety, Standard Act 2006: Singh

JAMMU, June 14: All J&K Movement for Peace and Justice today opposed the demand of some organizations that much delayed Food Safety & Standards Act 2006 be kept in abeyance for five years.
Talking to reporters here today Deep Singh a prominent member of the Movement said that any more delay towards the Act will prove suicidal. The issue is of great concern and the illogical demand of some organizations to keep the much delayed Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 for five years is anti people.
He said in view of large scale unchecked adulteration and the deteriorating condition of eatables such an Act should have been enforced over 15 years back and the people including the members of business fraternity should have openly supported the Act as adulteration has led to many fatal diseases and is going to spell a doom. He sought cooperation of all in demanding the implementation of the Act.
He said that some people are demanding that Act be kept in abeyance for their own interests ignoring the cause of general public. He said earlier the effective campaign of CAPD was also sabotaged which has decided to fix the day today rates of fruits and vegetables in Jammu over three years back.
Singh said the weak laws on adulteration, black marketing and hoarding are posing a threat to human survival and need to be replaced by strong laws immediately.

DINAKARAN NEWS

DAILY THANTHI NEWS

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Govt to seize, destroy banned gutka products after June 15

Kerala High Court today directed the state government to seize and destroy banned gutka and pan masala products after June 15.
Clandestine stocking and sales should be checked by police and concerned authorities to ensure that the prohibited items are no longer available in the state, a division bench comprising Justice C N Ramachandran Nair and Justice C K Abdul Rahim said.
The court gave the directive while considering a statement filed by the state government that stringent action would be taken against those who continue the sale and distribution of pan masala products.
Kerala Government ordered the ban last month under the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Regulation Act, 2011, becoming the second state after Madhya Pradesh to do so. It had cited increasing incidence of gutka-induced diseases like oral cancer as the reason for the ban.
Meanwhile, a batch of petitions by manufacturers of tobacco products challenging the legality of prohibition has been referred to a division bench headed by the acting Chief Justice Manjula Chellur.
The arguments on these petitions was going on before a single judge since the last few days.
A PIL was filed seeking to enforce the prohibition, which was allowed today prompting manufacturers to allege that this was state-sponsored and an abuse of process of court.
The government, without disclosing the pendency of petitions before the single judge filed a statement hastily and obtained a favourable order, they also alleged.
Following this controversy, the petitions of the manufacturers were referred to the division bench.

New Food Act norms deter tall claims

Manufacturers of memory boosters and cholesterol busters might have to tone down the tall claims as the new guidelines under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 are being implemented across the board this year.
The Act, which came into force in August last year, makes renewal of Prevention of Food Adulteration licence for all vendors, manufacturers, sellers, stockists and distributors of food mandatory by August 4 this year.The Act also requires foodhandlers to possess a medical fitness card in order to eliminate possibility of contamination.

Curb sale of unlicensed packaged water: HC

The High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to take immediate steps to curb the manufacture and sale of packaged drinking water without valid licences.

Hearing a petition by Lochamesh Hugar, a resident of Hubli, the division bench comprising Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna directed the State to take necessary action as per Food Adulteration Act and Rules, 1954. It has ordered notice to the State and Central governments.

The petitioner had stated that most of these firms were manufacturing and selling packaged drinking water without valid licence. He said that under Rule 49 of Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules, 2000, no person shall manufacture, sell or exhibit packaged water without licence. The petitioner submitted that the authorities had failed to perform their duties.

He said that though ISI certification is mandatory, the manufacturers do not go for it so that they can avoid VAT. The petitioner submitted that there are at least a hundred such companies operating across the State.

Directing the respondents to take necessary steps to prevent manufacture and sale of drinking water without ISI certification, the division bench ordered notice to the State Food and Civil Supplies Department, deputy commissioners of all districts and the Centre.

Groundwater

The High Court has directed the State and the Union governments to apprise it of the steps taken to implement norms for curbing overexploitation of groundwater.

H N M Prasad of a Bangalore-based Power Water and Energy Audit had filed a petition challenging the commercial use of groundwaters by some of the water suppliers in the State.

He contended that water being a natural resources no individual has rights or title to exploit resources for commercial purpose. He said nothing has been done to implement the existing rules to check exploitation of water and sought the court to direct the authorities to notify Bangalore and peripheral areas within 50-km radius.

The Division Bench directed the petitioners to implead BBMP  in the matter and ordered notices to Central Ground Water Board, Chief Secretary and others.

Sh. Ghulam Nabi Azad Visits US FDA Head Quarters - PTI

 Sh. Azad Stresses on Importance of Collaboration with US in Food and Drug Regulation The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Sh. Ghulam Nabi Azad has stressed on the importance of collaboration with the USA in food and drug regulation as this will provide exposure to the Indian regulators to international best practices in this area. Sh. Azad was speaking at the headquarters of the US Food and Drug Regulatory Administration (FDA) at Maryland. Sh. Azad is member of the high level Indian delegation visiting the USA.

Sh. Azad, while interacting with the high officials at the US FDA, highlighted the importance of drug and food regulation in the lives of common people and presented an overview of the Indian food and drug industry. He stated that the Indian food industry is estimated to be worth about US $ 135 billion. There has been rapid growth in the sector, especially the processed food industry, he added. Sh. Azad also said that the Indian pharmaceutical industry, estimated to be worth about US $ 20 billion, is ranked third globally in terms of its volume and 13th in terms of its worth. The Union Minister noted that India is regarded as the ‘pharmacy of the developing world’ due to the focus on accessibility and affordability.

Sh. Azad also spoke on the drug and food regulatory framework in India. He explained the roles of the Union and State governments in the regulatory framework of food safety, as it is a concurrent subject within the Constitution of India. The role of the Central government includes making regulations on food standards and other quality parameters; playing advisory role in implementation of the Act by States and Union Territories; amending rules and standards; ensuring that the import of food articles is safe, wholesome and comply with the provisions of Indian Food Laws; and notifying referral food laboratories to test the samples, while the State governments enforce the regulatory standards by lifting samples for testing and carrying out other regulatory functions, Sh. Azad stated. The Union Minister also stressed on the need to make the regulatory mechanisms within the country more effective.

DINAMALAR NEWS

Minutes of the 9th meeting of FSSAI

9th Meeting of FSSAI on 6.6.2012

FDA Maharashtra commences special drive to ensure zero milk adulteration

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Maharashtra, has commenced a state-wide campaign against milk adulteration. This was informed by Mahesh Zagade, commissioner (food), Maharashtra.

“Milk adulteration is happening on a daily basis and we are forced to take up a special drive across the state against the illegal producers, packers and distributors of milk,” explained Zagade.

The motive behind the campaign is to obtain zero milk adulteration in Maharashtra by June 30, 2012, so that the consumers could also procure pure milk in return. In this regard, the food safety officers (FSOs) in every region would now look into the aspect closely to look at the rootcause of the problem and work on it at the earliest.

“Our officers had raided around 20,000 litres of adulterated milk in Sangli district and recently in Mumbai (Khar region) of about 450-500 litres of milk,” he said, adding that the findings had been discussed with the FSOs in a meeting.

It has been found that the milk was adulterated with water and caustic soda (a preservative), it was repacked and resold to small dairy spots, and the truck drivers or owners concerned did not possess a licence or registration. Not only this, but also the places where the milk was distributed did not ensure hygienic condition and many a times they were located near drainage.

Further, it was also found that the milk was sold in packets without proper labelling and printing or even sold with no clarity in mentioning the “best before.”

The ones which were meant to be “not to be sold” were also distributed illegally to the sellers and that the rejected milk packets by one of the dairy spots would be purchased by the other in the scenario.

Therefore, the FSO would inspect all the check-nakas of the city and the tankers would now need to produce valid documents for the same. Further, all the distributors of milk should possess the list of those milk suppliers and other details.

Soon a meeting would be called in order to alert the dairy industry with the Rule 26 of the new law. All those spots, which would be identified by the FSOs as places of adulteration, hereafter would destroy the repacked milk. And the manufacturers shall now possess the list of all the details of the FSOs of their respective regions in case of emergency.

Further, the FSOs would now take up routine inspection of milk in every region, twice a month.

Commissioner of Food Safety interacts with manufacturers

JAMMU, JUNE 11:Commissioner of Food Safety today organised a one Day Workshop-cum-interaction Session  for the awareness of the Manufacturers of Bakery, Snacks, Confessionary and Sweetmeat regarding various provisions laid down under the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006, Rules and Regulations, 2011.
The Commissioner, during a detailed interaction, made the participants aware about the set quality standard norms and rules for running food processing units.
He clarified that the licence holders, for any change in documents or information provided during grant of previous licence have to meet certain conditions as provided under the Act.
He said Certificate or Plan of Food Safety Management System or affidavit to that effect   was compulsory for all such units.
During the Workshop, power point presentation on the Food Safety & Standards (Registration and Licenses of Food Businesses) Regulation, 2011, Food Safety & Standards (Packaging and Labeling) Regulation, 2011 and food safety parameters to be followed by food manufacturers was presented by   Assistant Controller Food (HQ) / Food Analyst, Jammu.
 During the interaction session, various queries were raised by the Manufactures which were clarified on spot by the Commissioner of Food Safety.
All the Food Business Operators were asked to get their business registered/licensed on or before 4th of August, 2012 to avoid any legal proceeding as laid down in the   Act.

ஈரோட்டில் நடந்த ஆய்வில் கலப்பட பாலே இல்லை : தமிழக பால் விற்பனையை தடுக்க கர்நாடகா சதி

ஈரோடு : பெங்களூரில் கலப்பட பால் லாரி பிடிபட்ட நிலையில், "ஈரோடு மாவட்ட பண்ணைகளில் இதுவரை நடந்த ஆய்வில், கலப்பட பாலே பிடிபடவில்லை' என, தமிழக உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரி கூறியுள்ளார்.

ஏன் இந்த முயற்சி? : தமிழகத்திலிருந்து பெங்களூருக்கு, பால் சப்ளை செய்யப்படுகிறது. ஈரோடு மாவட்டத்தின் பல்வேறு பகுதியிலுள்ள, தனியார் பால் பண்ணைகள் மூலம், பெங்களூருக்கு, ரெகுலராக பால் வினியோகமாகிறது. தமிழகத்திலிருந்து செல்லும் பால் வண்டிகளை, கர்நாடக அதிகாரிகள் பிடித்து, "கலப்பட பால்' எனக் கூறி, பாலை கீழே கொட்டி அழிப்பது வாடிக்கையாக நடக்கிறது. ஜூன் 9ம் தேதி இரவு, பெங்களூரு வில்சன் கார்டன் பகுதியில் நடந்த சோதனையில், ஈரோடு மாவட்டத்திலிருந்து சென்ற லாரி ஒன்று பிடிபட்டது. கர்நாடக மாநில பால்வளத் துறை அதிகாரிகள், அந்த லாரியிலிருந்த பாலை சோதனையிட்டு, அது கலப்பட பால் என கண்டறிந்தனர்.
வண்டியிலிருந்த, 5,000 லிட்டர் கலப்பட பால், பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது. பாலை எடுத்துச் சென்ற ஈரோடு மாவட்டம், பெருந்துறை தாலுகா, தயிர்பாளையம் தியாகராஜ், மணிகண்டன் நகர் சண்முகம் என்ற முத்துசாமி, திடியூர் பாஸ்கர் ஆகிய மூவரும், கைது செய்யப்பட்டனர். தலைமறைவான பால் பண்ணை உரிமையாளர், தனசேகரை தேடி வருகின்றனர். ஈரோடு மாவட்டத்திலிருந்து, கலப்பட பால் எடுத்து வந்ததாக, பெங்களூரில் மூவர் கைது செய்யப்பட்டதையடுத்து, ஈரோட்டில் கலப்பட பால் குறித்த ஆய்வை, தீவிரப்படுத்தும் நடவடிக்கையில், தமிழக அதிகாரிகள் இறங்கியுள்ளனர்.

30 மாதிரிகள் ஆய்வு : பெங்களூரில், மூன்று மாதத்துக்கு முன் இதேபோல், ஈரோடு மாவட்டத்திலிருந்து கலப்பட பால் சப்ளை செய்ததாக சிலர் பிடிபட்டனர். அப்போது, ஈரோடு பண்ணைகளில், தீவிர ஆய்வு நடத்தப்பட்டது. 30 இடங்களில் பால் மாதிரிகள் எடுக்கப்பட்டு, சோதனைக்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டது. இதில், இரண்டு மாதிரிகள் தரம் குறைவாகவும், இரண்டில் லேபிள் தவறு என, நான்கு மாதிரிகளில் மட்டுமே, குறை கண்டறியப்பட்டது. மற்ற நிறுவனங்களின் பால், தரமானதாக இருந்தது. கலப்பட பால் தயாரிக்கப்பட்டதாக, இதுவரை எந்த மாதிரியும் பிடிபடவில்லை. தற்போது மீண்டும், "கலப்பட பால்' எனக் கூறி, பெங்களூரில் பால் பிடிபட்டுள்ளது, அதிர்ச்சி ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது. முறையான லாரி அனுமதி, உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு சட்ட அனுமதி போன்றவற்றை பெறாமல், சிலர் தமிழகத்திலிருந்து பால் சப்ளை செய்கின்றனர். அனுமதியின்றி சென்று, பிடிபடும் லாரிகள் மீது, சம்பந்தப்பட்ட குற்றத்துக்கு தான் வழக்குப்பதிவு செய்ய வேண்டும். ஆனால், அதை, "கலப்பட பால்' என்று முத்திரை குத்துவதற்கே அதிகாரிகளும், போலீசாரும் ஆர்வம் காட்டுகின்றனர் என, தமிழக பால் பண்ணையாளர்கள் குற்றம்சாட்டுகின்றனர்.

Tribunal to keep watch on street food

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarati foodie with an elephantine appetite needs to know how much calories one shoves in with that lip- smacking, enticing and chatpata street food, becoming fast consumables these days. Equally important is to find out the nutritional value of the barrage of locally packaged food.

The city for this purpose will have the state's first food safety tribunal which will not only provide teeth to food safety inspectors to keep quality checks on food sold in the city but also nail defaulters who make false claims about nutritional value of their products. The tribunal will be set up within the next two months.
The tribunal will look into cases where defaulters are caught selling food not of the nature or substance or quality as was demanded. It will also hear cases of substandard and misbranded food and misleading advertisements. "Food containing adulterants, unsanitary processing or manufacturing of food, offences by companies and compensation in case of injury or death of consumer among others are few of the cases that the tribunal will look into. We are integrating the municipal health machinery into the system," said the food & drugs control administration commissioner H G Koshia.
The state government has already approved the post of a presiding officer, chaired by a retired district judge and six other posts. The tribunal has become mandatory with the Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011 being implemented. Food safety inspectors are being trained by Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officers with short-term chemical tests that can reveal adulterants in food instantaneously. Food inspectors of municipal corporations and the food and drugs department are part of this exercise.
"Working of the tribunal will not clash with consumer courts as they deal with special issues. The tribunal is purely for enforcement purposes and an appellate body for those who have been penalized by our officers," Koshia added.

Respondent to petition cannot act on impugned FSSA provisions: Madras HC

It has been yet another eventful week for the Madurai-based Tamil Nadu Food Grains Merchants' Association (represented by S V S S Velsankar, its honorary secretary), who filed a petition against the Union of India (represented by the ministry of health and family welfare's secretary to the government) before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court.

In an e-mail sent by R Kaleeswaran, honorary secretary, Karaikudi Bakery Owners' Association (KBOA), it is seen that the Madras High Court has passed an order of an ad-interim injunction constraining the respondent (Union of India), its men and agents from giving effect to the impugned provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006; Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011, and the respective Regulations, 2011. "They cannot act on Sections 3 (1) (u); (za); (zf); 5 (1) (a); 13; 14; 23; 31; 40; 50 to 65 and 77 of the FSSA, 2006," he said.

Of late, this battle for justice for small food business operators in the south Indian state has taken other interesting turns too. "Assem Chaudhary, director, administration, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), arrived in Madurai this week and we had a fruitful discussion. In fact, he said the FSSAI would like to be a co-respondent to the petition we filed," Velsankar told over the telephone.

He added, "We have invited Chaudhary to visit Madurai again, accompanied by K Chandramouli, the chairman of the authority. He has agreed to come here and engage in talks with different trade bodies from across the state." Before signing off, Velsankar stated that he and a trade delegation from Tamil Nadu, accompanied by the members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, are headed to New Delhi next month to meet FSSAI officials.

DINAMALAR NEWS

''தண்ணிப்பால்தான் நல்ல பால்!''

‘It is the responsibility of provider to guarantee safe food' - THE HINDU

Jyoti Sardesai, Deputy Director, Food and Drugs Authority, speaking at the workshop on ‘Food Safety and Standards Act' in Panaji on Saturday.

The introduction of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) has consolidated all the legislations relating to food under one law and now the “onus is on the food provider to supply safe food”.
This was the message given to the stakeholders at a day-long awareness workshop on FSSA provisions organised in the city by Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Directorate of The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) in association with Indian Register Quality Systems (IRQS).
The programme was attended by representatives of hotels, restaurants, and other food outlets.
IRQS is a company that carries out Certification for ISO.
Jyoti Sardesai, the Deputy Director, FDA, addressed the gathering and gave a background on the need for this awareness programme.
C.S Shankar, Head Business Development, IRQS said IRQS has the privilege of certifying organisations in various Industry segments for different  management standards like ISO 9001,ISO 14001, OHSAS 18001,ISO / TS 16949 & Food Safety Management System  ISO 22000, ISO 27001, ISO 28000 and ISO 50001.
Manguirish Pai Raiker, president of GCCI, said that in Goa the FDA has been known for their pro-activeness and have provided advice and guidance to the food industry to implement the laws.
The sessions were conducted by Satish Kumar Gupta, Assessor, FSMS from IRQS.  He highlighted the fact that earlier the focus was on Food Security and now with this Act, the thrust is on food safety and safe food. There were a variety of laws on the subject and it was difficult to monitor and implement all of them and as such now all the laws pertaining to safe food have been consolidated under FSSA. More than 100 hoteliers participated in the sessions.

FSO's Check Quality Standards at Eateries

City traders protest against amendments

Sporting black badges the traders of steel city under the banner of Jamshedpur Chamber of Commerce on Friday staged protest against the amendments in Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The traders gathered at Golmuri market to show their solidarity.
President of the Jamshedpur Chamber of Commerce, Mohanlal Agarwal said, “The amendments brought in the Act are against the interest of small businessmen.” According to the amendment, every producer and retailer dealing in eatables and grocery would have to avail a licence from the food and drugs control department.
Agarwal went on to say that the amendments in the Act have created confusion among traders across the country. The Union Cabinet had recently approved the amendments which seeks to provide subdised foodgrains to over half of the country’s 1.2 billion population.
Krishi Bazaar Samiti has asked the Union and State Government to take wise steps. The trader’s body chief Deepak Bhalotia said that the amendments brought in the Act are against the interest of small businessmen. According to the amendment, every producer or retailer has to take licence from the food and drugs department.
He said that businessmen around the country are protesting against this Act. Protest against Food Security Act 2006 had greater impact in the city, especially in market. Agrawal said the Bill is “full of inaccuracies and confusion and that the Centre should not encroach into State domain.”
Meanwhile, the district health department has started taking initiatives for enforcing necessary provisions under the Act. The Additional Chief Medical Officer (ACMO) of East Singhbhum, Swarn Singh held a meeting with a few trade outfits earlier this week.
“We are concerned over the situation. We have held talks with a few trade bodies. They have been informed about the legal provisions in the Act. The trade bodies have been asked to spread the message,” said Singh. He said that the health department would soon start mapping of food joints and restaurants and ensure that the provisions of the Act is followed. The Act also envisages that those food units with an annual turnover of less than Rs 12 lakhs will have to be registered, while those having turnover of more than
Rs 12 lakhs per annum will require a licence.

High Court gives govt three months to act

Srinagar, June 8: J&K High Court has directed the government to implement Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 and Food Safety and Standard Rules, 2011 within three months.
 A division bench comprising justices Mansoor Ahmad Mir and Hasnain Massodi issued the directions on a Public Interest Litigation petition filed by Advocate Sheikh Muhammad Ayoub.
 The petition prays for directions to the state to implement the Act and the Rules.
 While expressing dissatisfaction over the reply the state has filed, the Division Bench observed “it is not in sync with the court directions.”
 Pertinently, the court on March 28, 2012 had directed the government to file compliance report vis-à-vis the steps taken by it to implement the Act and the Rules.
 The Court had directed the Divisional Commissioners Kashmir and Jammu, and Commissioner Food Safety J&K to file compliance report within two weeks while issuing notice to the government to file reply to the PIL.
 The PIL contends that the food safety issue has a colossal importance and requires to be taken with seriousness.
 According to the PIL, Food Safety Act 2006 and Food Safety & Standards Rules of 2011 provide that the post of Commissioner Food Safety should be manned by a person of Commissioner Secretary rank, while in J&K an Incharge Drug Controller has been assigned the job, who “lacks the basic eligibility and qualification.”
 “The present incumbent is not competent to hold the post and sanction any prosecution and he is not in a position to take any action against the person found guilty under the Act and Rules” the petition reads.
 The petition alleges that the adulterated food items are openly sold and many spices and edibles in the market are unsafe for consumption as the Act and Rules have not been implemented.

Awareness meet on food safety today - THE HINDU

Special Correspondent

The Goa Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) in association with the Indian Register of Quality Systems (IRQS) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will hold an awareness programme here on Food Safety and Standards Act and Food Safety Management System on June 9 at the Convention Hall of the GCCI.

The awareness programme is aimed at educating various stakeholders such as food processing units, hotels, restaurants, and so on, with provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and Food Safety Management System. The programme will provide participants with basic knowledge of effective implementation of processes, and contribute to the continual performance improvement of the organisation which they represent.

The Act would be implemented strictly and hence it was important that all Goa-based units which deal in various aspects of manufacture, storage, distribution, and sale of food be fully aware of the rules and be prepared for its implementation.

Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, consolidates various acts and orders that had hitherto handled food-related issues in various ministries and departments. The Act had been created for laying down science-based standards for articles of food and to regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale, and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

Artificial ripening of fruits rampant

When the Kochi city shadow police seized nearly a tonne of mangoes from a wholesale fruit vendor and arrested him for using a hazardous chemical for artificially ripening them, they were just acknowledging a practice that has been going for years.

They were also acknowledging the fact that a sizeable number of Keralites have been eating poison-laced fruits for years. Using the chemical compound calcium carbide (CaC) for artificially ripening fruits brought in from other States is so commonplace that, vendors say, you can hardly find a fruit free from it.

A large chunk of the fruits consumed in Kerala is brought in from Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. For the convenience of transportation, handling and longer shelf life, they are brought in unripe and later the artificial ripening agent is applied.

“We are aware that the fruits we sell are ripened with a chemical,” a wayside fruit-vendor in the city told The Hindu. “I don't know anything about its health risks, but it is very useful for us vendors — it increases the shelf life of the fruits and makes the fruits attractive to the buyers.”

He said that the wholesale vendor from whom he purchased the fruits used to keep a tiny cloth bag of the cheap chemical in each of the crate of fruits.

Just 1 kg of calcium carbide is enough to ripen some 15 crates of fruits, he said. “The chemical helps the fruits ripen evenly and give a smooth look to the fruits,” he said. A whole range of fruits — from mangoes, grapes, bananas, water melons, pomegranates to guava — were being ripened using CaC.

But, the convenience and profits of the vendors come at an enormous health cost to the consumers. Eating fruits ripened by calcium carbide can hurt the digestive system and the liver. It can also cause dizziness, headache and mental disorientation in the short term. Since it contains traces of arsenic and phosphorus, CaC is harmful to humans. When dissolved in water, CaC produces acetylene gas which can affect the neurological system.

A food safety official said that CaC greatly reduces the nutritional value of fruits as it compromises fructose contained in the fruit.

A chief food safety officer in the Food Safety Commission, Kerala, told The Hindu that artificially ripening fruits with CaC is an offence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which came into force last year, and could fetch heavy fine and jail term for the offender.

He pointed out that the FSS Act was very harsh on those adulterating or contaminating food with poisonous chemicals.

The FSS Act takes the safety of food Indians eat very seriously.

Its ambit includes sale of sub-standard food, marketing of misbranded food, use of misleading advertisement, unhygienic manufacture and processing of food.

Some caution before eating

It is quite likely that the fruits you just bought (which most likely came from outside Kerala) could be injurious to your health.

In order to reduce the health risks, here are certain steps—as advised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India—that you can take before eating:

—Select fruits and vegetables without spots or necrosis (lesions) and any abnormality

—Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly with water (preferable running potable water) before eating or cooking

—Buy fruits and vegetables from vendors you know

—Peel off fruits before consumption and vegetables before cooking—to reduce exposure to pesticides

—Do not buy and consume cut fruits from the streets

—Throw away fruits and vegetables infected by mould or fungus

—Discard the outer leaves of leafy vegetables such as lettuce and cabbage—to minimise risks from pesticide remnants

FOOD SAFETY DEPT. RAIDS IN HOTEL

Ice, soda factories under health scanner

In an effort to control water borne diseases during the monsoon, the National Rural Health Mission and District Medical Office have decided to launch special surveillance for outbreaks of water borne diseases associated with soda and other locally made drinks. 

 “Prevention is all we can do and we are making all efforts possible. Soda and other local beverages can be a source of illness and we have to prevent any such outbreak. Hence we have directed all the health officials to conduct inspections and collect samples of water used for manufacturing such beverages. Strict action will be taken against violators,” said district programme manager, B. Unnikrishnan. Unauthorised soda manufacturing units have mushroomed without strictures from the authorities, including the commissioner of food safety. 

“There are plenty of illegally functioning units; it would be safe if everyone avoids consuming sodas. We will be intensifying routine inspections. Drinking water sources will be chlorinated,” said the district medical officer, T. Peethambaran. 

 A major problem is the lack of co-ordination between the health department and the commissioner of food safety. A senior official in the health department alleg-ed that as per the Food Safety Act 2012 it is the sole responsibility of the commissioner of food safety to collect samples. 

 “Surveillance on such issues will be complete only with the co-operation of the food safety department. We are doing such activities along with our routine responsibilities,” the official said.

DINAMANI NEWS

Chandigarh traders join nationwide protest

CHANDIGARH: Chandigarh Beopar Mandal has decided to join the Bharat Udyog Vyapar Mandal in a nationwide agitation against the alleged unjust and impractical clauses in the Food Safety and Standards Act on Saturday. The city body of traders took the decision after a meeting with the executive body of Bharat Udyog Vyapar Mandal in New Delhi.

The meeting decided that traders from across the country, under the banner of Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal, will put up a demonstration before the office of food safety and standards authority, FDA Bhawan, on Kotla Road, New Delhi, on Saturday, to push their demand for simplification and rationalization of the Act. There after, an awareness campaign will be launched in New Delhi on August 9.

As many as 18 state delegations participated in the meeting, which discussed Food Safety and Standards Act and the issue of foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail sector.

The central body of traders believes that Centre's policies will shift the entire trade to multinational firms from crores of self-employed individual traders causing them irreparable losses.

Instead of providing loans and other facilities to the unorganized trade and industry sectors, the government is compelling traders to abide by its impractical policies and laws, said the members of Bharat Udyog Vyapar Mandal.

Sale of artificially ripened fruits goes unchecked in Margao

MARGAO:  Wholesalers and vendors  selling  bananas and  mangoes through the handcarts  stationed along the  Margao roads, specially, during  the odd hours, have been allegedly   using  chemicals to quicken the ripening process of fruits and all this at the cost of public health.

And, interestingly, there has been no action coming against  the fruit sellers from the concerned authority. They can be booked under the  Food  Safety and Standard Act.

Sources  stated that the Health Act mentions  severe  punishment  for  selling such  artificially ripened fruits and causing risk to human lives.
The common man eats these artificially ripened fruits, which are   being sold at a little cheaper rate – `20 to  `30  per  dozen, thus inviting  health problems.
“When we eat these bananas and mangoes, there is a smell  of some chemical and  are often  tasteless  unlike the  local bananas.  The  vendors swear that  they  never put such chemicals,’’ a buyer stated, speaking to this daily.
What indeed pushes these  wholesalers and  vendors to adopt the practice to artificial ripen the fruits is the fast buck  they can make due to  a strong demand in the market for the fruits like bananas, mangoes, apples etc.
The locally grown fruits in the state are available on a smaller scale and hence their rates are high. This drives the people with low budget to these handcarts.
“There is a commercial interest behind all this and nothing else.  They have no patience to wait for the fruits to ripe,’’ a MMC councillor  said.
The former chairperson, Mr Savio Coutinho informed that  few were caught while  selling  such   chemically  ripened fruits  in the market  by the MMC and health department officials.
“Such offenders should be booked under law in the interest of the  public  health. The MMC, Health Department and the  Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  should  jointly  conduct inspections and raids to put things in place,” opined  Mr Coutinho. 
According to him, few at the market are  carrying out such illegal business  and  MMC officials concerned turn a blind eye to it.
The chief  officer of MMC, Mr J B Bhingui, stated that he is unaware of the permissions given to these handcart operators.
Mr Bhingui added that the MMC also would commence a drive against these illegally operating handcarts selling such artificially  ripened  fruits  in the town and causing health risk to the consumers.
“We had clamped  down on them  on few occasions a year ago. It is wrong to  sell such fruits dipped into chemicals  for the greed of money. We permitted few  handcart operators to sell  fruits here in the market, but  certainly not the  artificially ripened ones. FDA should  act tough on them and  book them for risking the lives of common people,’’ commented the market inspector of MMC,  Mr Anil  Shirodkar.
The director of  Food and Drug Administration, Mr  Salim Veljee  stated that their officials conduct the inspections occasionally and  have  booked few of them.
“But,  many of them  take the advantage of the  Food  Safety and Standard  Act. The law is not very clear on the issue,’’ Mr Veljee  said.
The FDA director, however, added that  “the  law  does not allow them to use calcium carbide.  If any person is found  using  calcium carbide  to ripen the fruits  their clue for us would help to book them.”      
Sources  disclosed that these  wholesalers and vendors  use a colourless volatile organic liquid used as an anesthetic to artificially ripen the fruits  to meet the  growing demand for fruits in  the market.
Sources also indicated that  in the case of chemically ripened  bananas and mangoes, skin  of fruits often  gets blackened in a day or two whereas it is not the case in naturally ripened fruits.

RTI reveals cockroaches, rat poison in Brisbane restaurants

The ‘Sunday Mail’ obtained ‘shocking’ information under the RTI on hygiene in eateries in Brisbane. Indian cities are not far behind; all you need to do is invoke the RTI Act, like it was done in Pune

We generally believe that Indians have a bad sense of hygiene and that our municipal corporations are lax when it comes to food safety in restaurants. This myth is dismissed with last week's revelation in tourist hot-spot Brisbane, when one of its leading daily "Sunday Mail" used the Right To Information (RTI) Act to get details about "black listed" restaurants on the Queensland health public register-a policy implemented by the Labour government in 2006 to put the names of offending restaurants in public domain, to safeguard health of citizens.

The article published on 3rd June in the Sunday Mail, (ww.) on the basis of documents procured under the information act is titled "Brisbane's black-list eateries named and shamed". The information procured from Brisbane City Council has revealed that names of influential restaurants which were heavily fined and prosecuted, for risking the health of citizens have not been made public in the Queensland Health Public Register, while small-time offenders are included in the list.

Also accessed is the dismal state of kitchen hygiene in the 'culprit' restaurants which debunks the theory put up by CWG (Commonwealth Games) official Lalit Bhanot that hygiene standards in India are different. If Mr Bhanot is to be believed, one would have thought that rat and cockroach-infested restaurants exist only in India but it is surprising to know that an otherwise forward nation like Australia is also marred by such problems. The article describes, "hundreds of cockroaches, and rat poison on a kitchen bench-these are some of the restaurant nightmares being kept from the public... Diners are being left in the dark about filthy rat and cockroach-infested restaurants thanks to the state's broken 'name and shame' regime."

The report states that documents under the Right to Information law revealed that a leading sushi restaurant, which was fined $45,000 because it was found to be a serious risk to public health during an inspection, has not been included in the public register. Another café which was also penalized heavily and has court cases against it for hundreds of cockroaches in its premises has also been protected from public eye. A Red Rooster restaurant which was fined $50,000 is not named in the public register. Similarly, 200 such restaurants have been protected and worse, instead of improving the system of food safety scrutiny, the Queensland council is contemplating shutting of the public register and instead introducing a mandatory board outside each restaurant with rating grades in order that the visitor instantly knows the cleanliness and hygiene standards. However, a research study conducted by New Zealand's food safety experts along with the government's food safety authority shows that visitors generally miss seeing the board and so the researchers have designed a special board which will not miss the eye of the visitor. For details: (ingentaconnect)
Among those penalised is an Indian restaurant too by the name of "Bombay Dhaba". The report states: "Bombay Dhaba, Shop 5, 220 Melbourne St, West End (relocated to Shop 2, 220 Melbourne St in May 2012)

"Action: Food licence cancelled January 2012. New licence issued 1 May 2012. Prosecution pending.

"Rat poison on bench tops, rodent faeces on shelving and flooring, rusting dishwasher racks, filthy floors and dirty dishes found during a council inspection in September, leading to the cancellation of the food licence. Photographs show green rat poison pellets on a food preparation bench, including close to a pair of tongs. Another business using the same name as Bombay Dhaba opened a short distance away on Melbourne St under a new licence last month after a fire in the old premises in January. A spokesman last week said the restaurant had a new premises and was under new ownership."

Other restaurants that have been prosecuted include Chinese as well as those serving European food.

The scenario in Pune
In 2010 and 2011, inspection of files under the RTI Act revealed that even posh restaurants, some of them five-star hotels, did not adhere to necessary food safety, kitchen and staff hygiene. Inspectors from the health department of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) which conduct a bi-annual inspection (there are 11 inspectors for over 7,500 eateries), carry with them a form that is filled during an inspection. It contains a list of 29 items that the restaurant is expected to adhere to strictly under the BPMC (Bombay Provisional Municipal Corporation) Act.

Leading restaurants in various localities were given show cause-notices. Most shockingly, none of the restaurants (which were inspected) had conducted medical examination of their staff even once, let alone on a regular basis, which is mandatory for every restaurant. When asked, most of the restaurant managers had the audacity to say that they could not afford to spend on medical examination. This means that we could be eating food served by, or even prepared by someone who is suffering from skin disease or something worse including stomach infections.

What the PMC inspectors found:

• Cobwebs noticed on the walls of the kitchen
•  Prepared food not covered properly
• No care taken to prevent contamination of food by dust or insects
• Kitchen and storeroom used for storing raw materials not located at a safe distance from bathrooms, gutter or urinals, to avoid contamination of food

What can we do?
Since laws are weak, we need to be very careful about eating out. Home food is best, but when tempted, be finicky. At least once a year, invoke the RTI Act on five of your favourite restaurants to check if they have been sent show-cause notices. Any other idea is welcome as the WHO's (World Health Organization) report is disturbing. Read this: "The World Health Organization estimates that up to 30% of individuals in developed countries become ill from contaminated food or water each year, and up to 70% of these illnesses are estimated to be linked to food service facilities. The aim of restaurant inspections is to reduce food-borne outbreaks and enhance consumer confidence in food service. Inspection disclosure systems have been developed as tools for consumers and incentives for food service operators.

Disclosure systems are common in developed countries but are inconsistently used, possibly because previous research has not determined the best format for disclosing inspection results. In India, it unarguably the worst and we must not forget that we pay through our nose even to bite into a 'dosa'.

New norms to check bacteria presence in milk

AHMEDABAD: The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has made it mandatory for the food and drugs department of every state to test for harmful bacteria like e coli in milk this year. This apart, the milk producers too will have to test for bacterial content like staphaureus and listeria monocytogenes before pushing it into the market. The new set of standards was first introduced across the nation in August 2011. The producers will have to declare on their packets that the milk is certified e coli, staphaureus and listeria monocytogenes free. The FSSAI has laid down standards for 10 types of milk that include buffalo, cow, goat or sheep, mixed, standardized, re-combined, toned, double-toned, skimmed and full-cream milk.

The food and drugs department of the state will be responsible for monitoring of the milk samples for bacteria content. FSSAI will also check randomly for bacteria content once in a while.

Gujarat's food and drugs commissioner H G Koshia told TOI, that nearly 45 designated officers and several food inspectors have been trained in checking milk and other food samples for contamination. "The FSSAI had provided us manual for food inspectors. We would be one of the first states to comply with new standards. The inspection of bacterial content in milk is also a concern in areas which are supplied loose milk as presence of microorganisms says a lot about milk processing and handling," says Koshia.

Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation managing director R S Sodhi said, "We have been checking bacteria content at our dairies, which is a routine activity."

White revolution diluted

Does the milk delivered at your doorstep meet the set quality standards and has enough nutritional value? Apparently, not in Gujarat. In one of the most comprehensive surveys across the country on packed and loose milk, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) found 89 per cent of Gujarat's milk samples not conforming to standards.

Another lesser known fact was that the highest number of non-conforming milk samples that were collected from urban areas in India was from Gujarat cities. For instance in Gujarat, 75 of the 89 milk samples that were collected from cities were found lacking the desired Solid Not Fat (SNF) and fat content as mentioned on the cover. This was due to dilution of milk with water.

Higher the SNF, better the quality of milk, food and drugs department officials say. Interestingly, none of the packed and loose milk samples collected from rural areas were seen deviating from standards according to the FSSAI. Skimmed Milk Powder (SMP), generally used to increase volume of milk in lean season, was also noticed in a few samples in the state.

SNF is one of the most essential components of milk that consists of vitamins , minerals and nutritional components. The price of the milk is based on its SNF and fat contents. "We have intensified our vigil on the milk being sold in different regions. This is our first priority now. FSSAI had found dilution of milk to be a problem for Gujarat but found no harmful substances in milk being sold here unlike others states. Packaged milk is the safest by all standards," said state's food and drugs commissioner H G Koshia.

Managing director for Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) R S Sodhi said, "We have four levels of quality checks, one at the producer level in villages, then at the district units level, before processing milk at our dairies and after packaging of milk. Besides this there is individual dairy quality control and one belonging to GCMMF. It is at the smaller markets, one sees people breaking milk packets and selling them loose after adding water . But as far as packaged milk is concerned , we meet all standards."

FSSAI had refrained from using the word contaminated in its report but had warned Gujarat dairies that in the interest of customers, both packed and loose milk should meet the standards. FSSAI has warned people buying loose milk about the use of adulterants which could be neutralizers, hydrogen peroxide, sugar, starch, urea, salt, detergent , formalin and vegetable salt.