HC upholds ban on gutkha, pan masala in Maharashtra

Mumbai : In a victory for the state government and the anti-tobacco activists, the Bombay High Court today upheld the ban on gutkhaand pan masala – both flavoured tobacco products -- in Maharashtra. Hearing a bunch of petitions filed by gutkhaand pan masala manufacturers, the division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Nitin Jamdar held that gutkhaand pan masala fell within the definition of "food" under the Food Safety and Standards Act, and the Commissioner of Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) has the power to ban them.
The court ordered the state government not to destroy the seized gutkhapouches till September 25, so as to enable the petitioners to seek relief from Supreme Court.
The manufacturers claim that production worth Rs 10 crore has been seized after the ban was imposed on July 19.
The High Court also rejected the manufacturers' plea that they be allowed to transport their products from Karnataka to Rajasthan through Maharashtra and Gujarat.
HC said such a passage could not be allowed, as both Gujarat and Maharashtra have banned gutka.
Petitioners had argued that gutkhawas not a "food" under the Act, so FDA had no power to ban it. Dhariwal Industries, one of the petitioners, had also argued that state's notification only banned gutkhaand not pan masala.
Its lawyer argued that while the state's reason for banning gutkhawas its harmful ingredients such as zinc, nicotine and magnesium carbonate, the company's pan masala products contained only minimal amount of zinc.
But Advocate General Darius Khambatta said that laboratory tests had showed that pan masala too has harmful ingredients. He likened gutkhaand pan masala to "poison".
It was the state's duty to raise the "level of nutrition" and standard of living of citizens, he said. While imposing the ban, the government had cited the carcinogenic nature of the two tobacco products.
The judges held that Food Safety Act empowered FDA to ensure that no "food" remains unsafe. It was the duty of the food manufacturers to ensure that they do not manufacture any food which is unsafe for public health, the HC said.

Gutka ban: HC to pass order today

The arguments over the petitions filed by tobacco products companies challenging the one-year state ban on gutka and paan masala in the Bombay high court came to an end on Friday. Division bench comprising chief justice Mohit Shah and justice Nitin Jamdar will pass an order on Saturday.
The Central government represented by additional solicitor general (ASG) Kevin Setalwad and counsel Rajani Ayyar representing Tata Memorial Hospital for Cancer and its NGO, Action Against Tobacco argued in support of the ban.
Mr Setalwad argued that even as the Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006 is a Central Act, the state under the delegated power to legislate can impose the ban on food products that are harmful to public health.
“The apex court had asked the National Institute of Health and Family Welfare to file report. Judiciary wanted material against the industry on what are the harmful affects of the industry on society as against the interest of a handful people, who are before this honourable court as petitioners,” argued the counsel. It was further submitted that the state was speaking of loss of `100 crore in taxes and profit of this industry was enormous.
It was pointed out to the court that where one-third of the adult population uses tobacco in one form or other,only nine per cent are smokers. In the state, a staggering 274 million people use tobacco. Cancer due to tobacco is 45 per cent of all the causes of cancers. “Food item that has potential to kill has no positive affect,” the counsel argued.

Dates nutrition facts

What nutrients are there in dates? A lot indeed! Here are sweet, delicious fruits from the tropical oasis, brimming with much-needed minerals and energy to help you stay fit and healthy.
Botanically; they are the fruits grow on the palm tree belonging to the family of Arecaceae in the genus: Phoenix and scientifically named as Phoenix dactylifera. The tree is believed to originate in the lands on the banks of Nile and Euphrates Rivers of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Date palm is now grown extensively for its edible fruits under warmer climates across all the continents.
The date fruit is a "drupe" in which outer fleshy part (exocarp and mesocarp) surrounds a shell (the pit or stone) of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. The fruit is oval to cylindrical in shape, 3–7 cms long, and 2–3 cms diameter, and when ripe, range from bright red to depending on the variety.
There are many varieties of date palm cultivated. ‘Amir Hajj’, ‘Saidy’, 'Khadrawy' and 'Medjool' is some of the important varieties that are popular for their superior quality.

Health benefits of dates

• Wonderfully delicious, dates are one of the most popular fruits packed with an impressive list of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are required for normal growth, development and overall well-being.
  
• Fresh dates compose of soft, easily digestible flesh and simple sugars like fructose and dextrose. When eaten, they replenish energy and revitalize the body instantly. For these qualities, they are being used to break the fast during Ramadan month since ancient times.
  
• The fruit is rich in dietary fiber, which prevents LDL cholesterol absorption in the gut. Additionally, the fiber works as a bulk laxative. It, thus, helps to protect the colon mucous membrane by decreasing exposure time and as well as binding to cancer-causing chemicals in the colon.
  
• They contain health benefiting flavonoid polyphenolic antioxidants known as tannins. Tannins are known to possess anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hemorrhagic (prevent easy bleeding tendencies) properties.
  
• They are moderate sources of vitamin-A (contains 149 IU per 100 g), which is known to have antioxidant properties and essential for vision. Additionally, it is also required maintaining healthy mucus membranes and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in vitamin A is known to help to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
  
• They compose antioxidant flavonoids such as ß-carotene, lutein, and zea-xanthin. These antioxidants found to have the ability to protect cells and other structures in the body from harmful effects of oxygen-free radicals. Thus, eating dates found to offer some protection from colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic cancers.
  
  
• Zea-xanthin is an important dietary carotenoid that selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea, where it thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions. It thus offers protection against age-related macular degeneration, especially in elderly populations.
  
• Dates are an excellent source of iron, contains 0.90 mg/100 g of fruits (about 11% of RDI). Iron, being a component of hemoglobin inside the red blood cells, determines the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
  
• Further, they are very good in potassium. 100 g contains 696 mg or 16% of daily-recommended levels of this electrolyte. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that help controlling heart rate and blood pressure. They, thus, offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.
  
• They are also rich in minerals like calcium, manganese, copper, and magnesium. Calcium is an important mineral that is an essential constituent of bone and teeth, and required by the body for muscle contraction, blood clotting, and nerve impulse conduction. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Copper is required for the production of red blood cells. Magnesium is essential for bone growth.
  
• Further, the fruit has adequate levels of B-complex group of vitamins as well as vitamin K. It contains very good amounts of pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), niacin, pantothenic acid, and riboflavin. These vitamins are acting as cofactors help body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats. Vitamin K is essential for many coagulant factors in the blood as well as in bone metabolism.
  

The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012

• The Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Bill, 2012 was introduced in the Lok Sabha on September 6, 2012 by Ms. Kumari Selja, Minister of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation.

• The Bill shall not be applicable to land owned or controlled by the Railways under the Railways Act, 1989.

• The Bill requires every street vendor to be registered with the Town Vending Committee. The Bill states that the minimum age of a street vendor has to be 14 years.

• Street Vendors have been defined to include ‘any person engaged in vending of articles, goods, food etc or offering services to the general public in a street lane, side walk, footpath, pavement, public park, or any other public or private area.  It includes hawkers, peddlers, and squatters.

• The Bill provides that no person can undertake any street vending activity without obtaining the required vending certificate.  Every registered street vendor shall be issued an identity card. 

• The Bill states that a vending certificate shall be issued to (a) stationary vendors; or (b) mobile vendors; or (any other category of vendor recognised by the appropriate government.

• The Bill requires every local authority to frame a street vending plan.  The plan has to be reframed every five years.  The plan shall determine the vending zones as (a) restriction-free vending zones; (b) restricted vending zones; and (c) no-vending zones.  The plan should also take into account that the areas available for street vending is reasonable, does not lead to overcrowding and is consistent with natural markets.

• The Bill defines natural markets as “a market where sellers and buyers have traditionally congregated for more than a specified period for the sale and purchase of specific products or services and has been determined as such by the local authority.”

• The appropriate government shall frame a street vending scheme.  The scheme shall include amongst others: (a) the manner of applying for registration, (b) the period within which the decision has to be made and, (c) any other condition to be imposed on the vending certificate.

• The Bill empowers the local authority to relocate street vendors.  The authority may do so, of the street vendors are causing a public nuisance or obstructing the movement of the public. A registered street vendor who has been relocated shall be entitled to new site for vending.

• The local authority is also empowered to confiscate the goods of the vendors in the manner specified in the street vending scheme.

• The Bill empowers the Town Vending Committee to cancel or suspend the vending certificate.  This may be done if the vendor has breached the conditions of street vending either under the Bill or under the street vending scheme.

• An appeal can be made to the local authority against the decision of the Town Vending Committee.  The appeal shall be with respect to (a) decision regarding the grant of registration; or (b) cancellation/suspension of the vending certificate.

• The local authority shall constitute a grievance redress committee.  The committee shall consist of one sub judge/judicial magistrate / executive magistrate and other persons experienced in street vending.  Appeal against the decision of Committee shall lie with the local authority.

• The Bill defines the duties of the local authority to include amongst others; (a) monitoring and supervising the street vendor scheme; (b) monitoring the effectiveness of the Town Vending Committee; and (c) deciding appeals.

•  A penalty may be imposed on the street vendors if the vendor :(a) does not have a vending certificate; or (b) vends beyond the designated zone or specified timings; or (c) contravenes the vending certificate.  A maximum penalty of Rs 2000 may be imposed on the street vendor.

• The appropriate government may provide for credit, insurance and other welfare schemes for the street vendors.

Ban on Gutka may remain only on paper

On September 11, Gujarat became the 11th Indian state to impose a blanket ban on production, distribution, storage and sale of cancer-causing gutka, a chewable crushed mixture of betel nut, tobacco, catechu, paraffin, slaked lime and sweet or savory flavorings.But addicts are laughing in their sleeves in which many are now hiding the featherweight sachets of the heady concoction reclassified as a foodstuff by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, prohibiting the use of tobacco and nicotine as loose ingredients in any food product.
After all, the devil-may-care users are fully aware that, like liquor prohibition in the land of Mahatma Gandhi, the latest proscription will also remain only on paper in the state accounting for sales totaling Rs2.5 billion. The slapping of the strict one-year ban — violators face a six-month imprisonment and a Rs 500,000 fine — only a couple of months ahead of the assembly polls shows that the stringent measure has been taken only to woo middle-class women who hate the annoying and harmful chewing habit of their family members.
Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been making passionate appeals to people to support the awareness campaign and convert it into a mass movement.
According to Dr Shilin Shukla of the prestigious Gujarat Cancer Research Institute, 17 per cent women are addicted to gutka and other forms of tobacco in the state while the number of men is 60 per cent.
Ahmedabad is said to be the capital of oral cancers caused by tobacco consumption in India which boasts of 275 million junkies. The country’s fifth most populous city has a staggering 55 per cent prevalence of tobacco-related cancers (TRC) compared to the Indian average of 40 per cent. The highly unorganised Rs10 billion gutka industry in Gujarat has a 10 per cent share in the Rs100-billion national turnover. Brands like RMD, formerly known as Manikchand, and Vimal, even have gutka-making plants in the state.
Indeed, in order to prove that the state government is serious about enforcing the new legislation, as many as 3,953 raids were carried out across all the 26 districts on the first day itself and 67,500 pouches of gutka worth Rs250,000 were seized.
However, the forced ban is unlikely to be effective in preventing youths from falling into the ‘tobacco trap’, especially at a tender age. Addicts say they will buy the gutka ingredients separately and mix themselves apart from finding alternative mixtures to satisfy their chewing urge.
Again, like the banned bubbly, the cheap gutka packets will be available for asking at, of course, enhanced rates. Also, unfortunately, the stimulating concoction enjoys greater social acceptability than cigarette or alcohol.
It will also not be surprising if, as has happened in some states, the manufacturers and distributors drag the Modi regime to a legal court.
Tobacco kills nearly one million people every year but then habits die hard.

Mutton from Rajasthan, Been from Andhra seized

Emulating Dubai-model food safety a ‘ridiculous’ idea, says WHO expert

Dr N.Anandavally, WHO Food Safety Consultant. Photo: Special Arrangement.

“There is no dearth of rules, regulations or laws in India to protect the health of consumers or to ensure fair practices in the food trade. But, laxity or some sort of `misfiring’ at the implementation level has been identified as the key problem facing the State in terms of food safety,’’ says Dr N. Anandavally, Food Safety Consultant of the World Health Organisation.

Talking to The Hindu, Dr Anandavally who is also a member of many expert committees of the WHO and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), said the reported move to emulate Dubai-model food safety in Kerala was nothing short of a ‘ridiculous’ idea.

Dr Anandavally, who had reviewed the food safety regulations of Dubai Municipality in 2009 and had trained many a senior official at the municipality, says that the rules and regulations in India are more science-based than that of the small Emirate.

She said the food safety rules and regulations in India were developed after continuous monitoring, review and expert consultations over a period of nine years and are at par with that of any developed country. “We have got extra strong teeth, but lack of will and effort to make an effective grind with it is the problem with us, ultimately making a mockery of the entire system itself,’’ she adds.

“Emulating Dubai-model food safety system in Kerala would be a sheer wastage of time and money as our regulations are more science-based and industry-specific that very well spell out a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Hygiene Practice (GHP), and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) requirements.’’

Dr Anandavally said, unlike Dubai, India has got a diverse food culture and a wide variety of food industries. But, what Dubai is getting are various sorts of processed and imported food, facilitating a more easier control on the clients and suppliers which can never be compared with the Kerala scenario, she adds.

Dr Anandavally said an improved supporting system was a must to ensure a strong food control and safety mechanism in the State.

According to her, basic infrastructure facility is also an important aspect to be taken into consideration while talking about food safety. Water, general sanitary conditions, drainage system, import control on various food items are all good and systematic in Dubai. The cold chain system there works well. There is no power shortage in Dubai. All shops are well arranged there and not to speak of their excellent warehousing and approval system, she said.

She stressed the need to impart proper training to all food inspectors and food handlers in an earnest effort to effectively implement the prevailing rules of the land, instead of blindly following any alien model which would never work in the typical Kerala scenario.

MAALAI MALAR NEWS

Officials seize 1.5 tonnes of beef smuggled from AP

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Caught red handed: The meat seized at Egmore Railway Station in the city on Wednesday | R Satish Babu 

Chennai Corporation officials seized 14 boxes weighing 1.5 tonnes of beef which came from Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh via the Circar Express, at the Egmore station here on Wednesday.
Following media reports about meat smuggled in from AP and sold in city shops, Corporation Health officials and Railway officials together conducted a raid at the Egmore station where they seized the meat.
The meat was sanitised and buried in the Corporation dumping ground at Kodungaiyur, said Health officials.
The seized meat, which came packed in ice boxes, had no quality stamps. Officials said that more than half of the boxes contained meat that seemed unfit for consumption.
There was a suspicion whether the meat was from butchered animals or carcasses. Meat sold in the city comes from the Corporation’s slaughter houses, where it is stamped for quality.
Officials said that its source would be difficult to determine. “Meat from the animals slaughtered here would be certified because we will be able to perform a postmortem and ascertain that the animal was indeed healthy. Here, we have no such proof,” said a veterinary doctor.
An official statement from the Corporation said that meat coming into Chennai would be thoroughly checked and confiscated if found to be of poor quality and without the official stamp.

67,500 Sachets Seized,Three Criminal Complaints Filed On First Day Of Ban

Ahmedabad: On Day One of the gutka ban,the state government ensured wide-scale raids on roadside kiosks,shops and pan outlets.Municipal corporations and nagarpalikas all seemed to be trying to rack up impressive raid figures.
In all,67,500 gutka sachets were seized by various urban local bodies,three criminal cases were registered for stocking gutka,and warnings were issued to 3,953 shops where gutka was found,across the state.
On how the authorities plan to deal with people in possession of gutka sachets,or caught consuming them,food and drugs control administration commissioner HG Koshia says,It purely depends on how much gutka the person is carrying.The officer can fine up to Rs 2 lakh but it will depend on the local food inspectors discretion.We do not plan to trivialize the ban by comparing it with liquor seizures during prohibition raids,but authorities will mostly warn consumers, says Koshia.
Interestingly,except for cities and small towns not much action was seen in villages and hamlets.This being an election year,we have been asked to go slow on villages as it may not be taken in the right spirit.Many livelihoods depend on the sale of gutka,pan masala and tobacco padikis, says a senior health department official in Gandhinagar.
Koshia says,For us to take criminal action against anyone,the person has to be carrying at least 400 sachets of gutka.We have registered three police complaints in all two in Surat district and one in Surendranagar.Those convicted will be liable for six months imprisonment and a Rs 5 lakh fine.We have designated food safety inspectors under the Food Safety and Standards Act to fine or seize any food articles that may be dangerous for public consumption, says Koshia.

AMC officials during a raid on a shop stocking gutka in Vadaj

Gutkha demise to revive cigarette demand

COIMBATORE: The recent ban on gutkha by Gujarat and Delhi is likely to increase the demand for cigarettes. With the ban, the number of states restricting the sale of gutkha has reached 11.These states account for about 45% of the cigarette consumption in the country, analysts tracking the sector said.
The Gujarat and Delhi state governments have banned gutkha from September 11 following a notification from the Food Safety Standards Authority of India. The notification bans all food products with tobacco or nicotine. Other states that have done so in the past are Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Jharkhand, Punjab and Chandigarh. However, there is no restriction on sale of loose tobacco or smoking tobacco products in these states.
"We see this as a positive for cigarette companies considering the hike in excise and VAT rates in recent central and state budgets on bidi and gutkha," analysts at brokerage firm Anand Rathi said. Cigarette accounts for only about 15% of the tobacco consumption in the country, they said.
While smokeless tobacco makes up nearly 50% of the tobacco consumption in the country, bidis account for 35% of the consumption. Though loose tobacco and cigarettes are consumed by different types of people, the ban would be a positive for cigarette companies, analysts said. " We expect low-end (cigarette) brands to benefit. Also, we estimate the new cigarette of 64-mm to command higher volumes, finding favour with former gutkha consumers."

Corporation to intensify checks on hotels

Corporation has submitted before Kerala High Court that inspections are being randomly conducted in hotels and restaurants in Kochi to ensure the quality of food.
“So far a total of 162 hotels have been inspected, with notices served to 72 hotels. The Corp also issued closure notices to five hotels. The two squads who have been entrusted with the job have been conducting searches to ensure that the food items prepared and stored are done so in a clean and hygienic environment. The squad is also checking if the ingredients used for the preparation meets quality standards. The squad has also considered the drainage and sanitation facilities,” says Ajith Patil, Secretary, Cochin corporation.
Corporation made the submission on a petition filed by advocate Baisil Attipetty asking to ensure the quality of the food supplied in hotels in Kochi city and other places.
The petitioner also sought a directive to the State requesting to issue an order to the Kerala Hotel and Restaurants’ Association and its members to sell food in accordance with the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. He also pointed out the recent Shawarma issue which claimed the life of a student in Bangalore. The petitioner stated that every citizen has a right to have hygienic and safe food from hotels. The petitioner further sought a directive where a detailed bill must be given to consumers and the price list of all the food items sold must be displayed.

Many countries crack down on MHA supplements

Several countries have, in recent months, cracked down on the manufacture, supply and sale of products containing methylhexaneamine (MHA) as dietary supplements, leading to speculation that the substance may no longer be available as an across-the-counter nutritional aid.

Last month, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) of the U. K., ruled that products containing methylhexaneamine needed to be removed from the UK market because of “potential risks to public safety.”

Stimulant

The drug, also known by several other chemical names, including dimethylamylamine (DMAA), is an ingredient of many dietary supplements that are used by sportspersons. Other supplements have also been found contaminated often with this drug which is categorised as a stimulant and banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

It has been claimed during the past few years that MHA was derived from the geranium plant, especially its oil and root extract. Being a natural substance, and as part of dietary supplements, it escaped regulations applicable to drugs in several countries.

One of the most popular products containing MHA, Jack3D, produced by USP Labs, Dallas, Texas, has been ordered to be removed by retailers, among other supplements, by the MHRA, UK. In a release dated August 28 last, the MHRA stated that Jack3D was an “unlicensed medicinal product”.

The UK decision followed a similar action by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), Australia, early last month banning the use of DMAA which is also considered as a ‘party drug’.

Toxic substance

“The TGA urges people not to obtain, supply or use DMAA. DMAA is a toxic substance with dangerous side effects. Buying such substances over the internet is risky.”

The TGA statement said that on August 2 last, the Western Australia State Coroner found that a mine worker had died from taking DMAA, which he had bought over the internet. The TGA ban includes personal use of DMAA, whether “bought over the internet or not”.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), USA, issued warning letters to 10 manufacturers of dietary supplements including USP Labs, last April stating that they were marketing the products without having submitted evidence of their safety to the FDA.

The FDA said in a release that since such manufacturers had not submitted evidence of safety, products containing DMAA would be considered as “adulterated”. The FDA move followed a decision of the US Department of Defence that temporarily banned the sale of products containing DMAA within military facilities following deaths of two soldiers suspected to be due to DMAA use.

Health Canada had categorised DMAA as a medicinal product as far back as August 2011, and stated that any product containing DMAA required authorisation from Health Canada as a drug in order to be sold legally in Canada.

Industry’s take

The MHA supplements industry has repeatedly stated that the products are safe and they actually contain natural ingredients. The claim that geranium oil contained MHA, as reported in a single research by a group of Chinese scientists in 1996, has since been challenged by a few other studies notably by a group of Australian scientists in 2011.

Health Canada stated last year that there was no credible scientific evidence to show that DMAA had been “captured as an isolate of a plant”.

Without verification by competent authorities, and mainly based on internet searches, many so-called ‘experts’ in India had branded MHA as an ingredient of geranium oil since it was brought into the Prohibited List in January 2010. It was also suggested that massaging with geranium oil or using lotions, soaps or face-packs containing the substance could trigger a ‘positive’ test for MHA.

No regulation in India

There is no regulation in India to oversee supplements distribution or sale. A number of foreign products are available in the market and are often sold near gyms, and at venues holding sports events. These arealso available on the internet.

A spokesman for the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said on Tuesday that regulations for supplements distribution in the country could soon be in the offing.

Japan's move to inspect Indian consignments for Ethoxyquin rattles shrimp exporters

Shipments stalemate: The overnight notice to India regarding the default standard fixed was not based on any scientific studies on safety evaluation.

Thiruvananthapuram/Visakhapatnam, Sept. 12: 

The sudden move by the Japanese Food and Safety Authority to impose compulsory testing for Ethoxyquin in shrimp consignments from India on the basis of a default standard of 0.01 ppm has rattled shrimp exporters from Andhra Pradesh, even though there has been no rejection of consignments from the State yet.

According to Raju K. Joseph, Deputy Director of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), here, a team led by the Chairman of the MPEDA visited Japan in the first week of September to reassure the authorities that there was absolutely no danger and “the default standard of 0.01 ppm is not based on any scientific studies nationally or internationally.”

Delegation meets minister

The delegation met with the Japanese Minister for Health, Labour and Welfare, Yoko Komiyama, and requested urgent intervention in the matter. It requested the Minister to issue instructions for keeping the orders at the default standard in abeyance for the time being.

The Chairman, MPEDA, requested the Minister to look at the issue compassionately since lives of more than 50,000 aqua farmer families were involved, apart from setback to exporters. The Japanese Minister has since referred the issue to the Food Safety Commission which is the nodal agency for giving advice on the matter.

Mandatory testing

The Chairman of MPEDA pointed out that the overnight notice to India regarding the decision and the fact that the default standard fixed was not based on any scientific studies on safety evaluation, nationally or internationally.

It was also pointed out that there were no international norms/Minimum Residue Limits fixed for Ethoxyquin in shrimps as there was insufficient scientific evidence to show it was not safe for human health.

Studies carried out by these countries had not thrown up any risk warranting the fixing of an MRL for fish and shrimp.

It was also mentioned that even Japan permits an MRL of 1 ppm for fish.

Shrimp feed

Joseph said fishmeal was an important ingredient of shrimp feed and to protect the feed from rancidity a large number of anti-oxidants were being used. “Ethoxyquin, being one of the most popular and effective anti-oxidants, finds its way into the shrimp through the feed. There are a number of shrimp feed units in AP using the substance. Therefore, they are also worried by the move of the Japanese inspecting agency. In fact, it affects everyone in the industry from the aqua farmer to the exporter,” he explained.

He said till now only consignments from West Bengal had been affected, but AP, being the foremost State in aquaculture, may also be hit in future.

Will stevia replace artificial sweeteners in India?

Being the descendant of a long line of diabetics or not-yet-diagnosed-possible-diabetics, I have always had it drilled into my head that I “must control my sugar intake”. I have therefore always looked on, in interest while Sanjeev Kapoor and Bipasha Basu swear by Artificial Sweeteners as their life savers on TV. The brands, Sugarfree Gold and Sugarfree Natura, contain aspartame and sucralose respectively. Sucralose is derived from sugar, while aspartame is a non-saccharide, an artificial chemical sweetener. While both are clearly sugar replacements, they can hardly be considered wholly natural and healthy options. Consumption of sucralose can possibly trigger migraine attacks. Most of the independent mouse studies about aspartame have found dangerous side effects in the subjects. But the worst part about artificial sweeteners is that there is no way to say for certain that they are safe for everyone.

One other such sugar replacement is stevia, a tropical plant native to South America. Stevia extracts have up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar, with the potential to enhance glucose tolerance, reduce blood pressure and control obesity. Since the market demand for food products that help control diabetes and obesity is extremely high; a product such as stevia should not find it hard to gain popularity. This is true even in the case of nations like India, where the demand for “luxury” food products is slowly catching up with the demand for necessities.

However, stevia has yet to overcome many hurdles to reach the popularity of aspartame and sucralose. There have been many debates, not just in the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, but also all over the world about the legalisation of stevia. Stevia has been in use for quite some time, however, it was only accepted as a food supplement or an additive recently. Australia, and New Zealand legalised stevia extracts in October 2008; the US FDA approved a stevia extract called Rebaudioside A in December 2008, while the European Food Safety Authority only approved stevia or Steviol glycosides as late as December 2011. Brands like Pepsi and Coca-Cola have already released stevia-versions of their beverages in North and South America, Europe, Japan and Turkey. However, no such laws have yet been approved in India, and the debate rages on.

A panel from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India submitted a recommendation for approving the product after companies like Cargill, Coca-Cola and Stevia Biotech submitted applications for the use of stevia in their products. The panel also included recommendations from WHO-EFSA (European Food Safety Agency), JECPHA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) as well as Australian and New Zealand Government's regulations to support their arguments. But there has been no talk of its approval as a tabletop sweetener. Supporters of stevia cite the example of Japan, which uses the ingredient in over 80% of its food products and has never reported any negative effects. Supporters also say that there is no need to differentiate between stevia and other products; it can simply be used as a supplement, in combination with other additives.

Stevia, like any other product, has had to face many hurdles in the form of its various “side effects”. Reports pore in about its supposed link to cancer, its effect on fertility, both male and female, as well as its harmful effect on an unborn foetus. Some studies even claim that despite being sugar-free, the product is detrimental to dental health. It is important to know that there have been no reports that directly link any ailments to the use of stevia, and laboratory experiments study the effect of a purer strain of stevia, in a dose that is much higher than what would be normally consumed. However, stevia has been known to cause an allergic reaction, anaphylaxis, in people who are allergic to flowers like marigolds, chrysanthemums or daises with symptoms like hives, shortness of breath, dizziness, weakness etc. Another common problem with stevia consumption is that, in strong doses, it has a bitter after taste, with a liquorice-like mouthfeel.

The issue about stevia’s unpleasant after taste has already been remedied by most of the companies implementing the ingredient in their products. The side-effects of stevia, in the case of consumers with allergies, are also a lot clearer than those of artificial sweeteners where no accurate predictions can be made. This makes it easier for consumers to make informed choices. Aspartame and sucralose gained popularity almost overnight, once their benefits were made known. At the moment, stevia is not as well known in India as it is overseas. But I think it is only a matter of time till India catches on with the Western trend. Once approval for stevia’s use has been granted, which is believed to be around the corner, stevia versions of “Sugarfree” will bag as much air time on TV as their sucralose counterparts. Global brands like Pepsi and Coca-Cola are simply biding their time till stevia is approved in India to launch stevia-based products that are already being widely consumed in Europe and the US. While no one can predict how quickly stevia will gain popularity, I think with time, it will definitely be on par with artificial sweeteners.

UP stand on gutkha ban contrary to earlier assurance: HC

‘On May 23, the state said imposing ban was under active consideration of the govt; now the matter has been referred to the Centre again’
The state government has told the Allahabad High Court that it has referred the matter of banning manufacture, sale and consumption of gutkha to the Central government.
The court, however, said that it was contrary to the stand taken by the state government in May, when it had maintained that banning sale of gutkha was under its active and serious consideration.
The Advocate General sought permission for filing written arguments, for which the court gave him three days. The other respondents, Union of India and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), have been asked to file their replies on September 17, the next date of hearing.
On Monday, hearing a PIL filed by Indian Dental Association (IDA) seeking ban on gutkha in the state, a division bench of Justices Amar Saran and Anurag Kumar, said: “On May 23, the advocate general had stated that so far as gutkha is concerned, the question of imposing ban/restrictions was under active consideration of the state government. However, contrary to the aforesaid, the state has filed a short counter affidavit today in the court wherein it is mentioned that the state government has again referred the matter to the Centre and sent a letter as late as September 5 seeking directions in the matter.”
Counsel for petitioner, Vishnu Behari Tewari, also pointed out before the court that already, after Madhya Pradesh, 11 more states including Bihar, Kerala, Punjab, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram, have banned manufacture, sale and consumption of gutkha.
“Our argument is that states have been imposing bans on the basis of a regulation formulated by FSSAI of August 5, 2011, which says that tobacco and nicotine cannot be mixed in any food product. Gutkha and paan masala have been held as food products by the Supreme Court. The bans were challenged in the High Courts of Patna, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh, but those petitions were disallowed. So, there is no reason why gutkha cannot be banned in the state,” said Tewari.
The court also took note of the petitioner’s counsel pointing out that the state government had lowered the taxes on gutkha, indicating that it was not intent on banning or putting reasonable restrictions on gutkha’s use.

Gutkha pouches dangle no more at paan shops

The small gallawalas of the city said their business was ruined as the state government’s ban on sale of gutkha came into force from Tuesday onwards. However, big paan shop owners said the ban was unlikely to affect their clients.
The long dangling rolls of gutkha pouches disappeared from gallas and paan shops since morning as the prohibition order took effect. However, many customers, who did not know about the ban, were heard asking stall owners as to why the pouches were not available. Others were discussing the possible aftermath of the state government’s decision.
“Almost 25 customers today asked for gutkha pouches and I had to say them they were no longer available. I used to earn
Rs 500 per day from their sale and it was my main business,” a stallwalla in a corner of Illora Park area said.
However, he said the ban was welcomed and that people would change their habit gradually. “So far as my business is concerned, I hope that sale of paan and masala (betel nuts mixed with tobacco and lime) picks up,” he said adding he had returned old stock of pouches to his dealer friend.
But an owner of a popular paan shop in posh on RC Dutt road said he was not worried over the ban. “Gutkha sale was just 10 per cent of our daily turn over. We are more known for our paan and now customers will have to change their habit,” he said, adding the decision was in the greater interest of public health.
The paan shop owner said he had stopped taking his daily delivery of gutkha from Monday. Both the owners said nobody had come to check their outlets.
On the other hand, those who are in the habit of chewing gutkha, expressed mixed sentiments.
“I went to 10 stalls but did not find a pouch. I am sure many store owner have them but they are scared to sell them. I had to make do with masala. But it is very difficult for me to live without gutkha,” Sanjya Shah (40) said.
However, an elderly said the ban would help him get rid of his bad habit. “After years of chewing gutkha, I am hardly able to open my mouth. I hope this improves after I stop chewing it,” he said requesting anonymity.
The state government has banned sale, storage and production of gutkha under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. The violators can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to Rs 5 lakh.
Deputy municipal commissioner (health) of Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) said, “We have formed five special teams and they will start checking shops and stalls for gutkha from tomorrow onwards in the city.”
RMC raids over 600 paan shops
On the first day of gutkha ban, the Rajkot Municipal Corporation (RMC) officials raided several paan shops and burned down all seized pouches.
However, the local body officers remained a bit lenient toward shop owners as most of them were unaware of the ban. The RMC had formed 12 teams that fanned across three zones of city on Tuesday. According to an official release, the teams raided 650-odd shops and recovered over 6,000 gutkha pouches.

“Address shortcomings in Food Safety Act” - THE HINDU

Adverse impact of the act on farmers highlighted by them in a petition

Twenty-one Members of the Parliament from Tamil Nadu have signed a petition urging the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad to address “shortcomings” in the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSA) 2006.

The Act established the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSA) as a statutory body coming under the Health Ministry for laying down science-based standards for articles of food and regulating manufacturing, processing, distribution, sale and import of food.

The petition was the result of a campaign undertaken by Tamil Nadu Foodgrains Merchants Association, which met all the 40 MPs from the State at New Delhi recently and highlighted the adverse impact the Act could have on farmers and small food business operators.

Addressing a press conference in Madurai on Tuesday, association president S.P. Jeyapragasam said that rules and regulations of the FSA were heavily influenced by multinational companies and domestic corporates who dominated the 123-member committee formed to frame the standards under the Act. He also noted that this committee was dissolved by the Supreme Court on February 2011.

Even M.S. Swaminathan, the Rajya Sabha MP known widely as the ‘Father of the Green Revolution,’ whom the delegation met in New Delhi, concurred with the traders’ opinion and voiced his concern with the Union Health Minister.

The Act, which replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, levied penalties in the range of Rs. 1 lakh to Rs. 10 lakh besides prescribing jail terms ranging between six months to 10 years.

Further, it had retained the standards set in 1954 for most of agricultural food produce though farming practices and the environment had undergone a sea change since then.

“While we welcome the intentions of the Act to provide quality and hygienic food to the public and coming down heavily on adulterated food, its rules and regulations are impractical.

The Act was framed in 2006 but notified in 2011 and yet, the Government did not utilise the five intervening years to crate awareness among the business community.”

He also noted that Tamil Nadu was being considered as being in the forefront of implementing the Act by officials in New Delhi even as several States were yet to establish the offices for implementing agencies.

Further, Mr. Jeyapragasam said, the standards of food produce would surely vary from region to region and sometimes within the region itself depending upon rains or lack of it, fixing one quality for all was not a practical move.

The association also urged the Central Government to rectify the various “anomalies” in the Food Safety Act 2006.

ADVISORY ON PRODUCT APPROVAL - FSSAI

NO CHECK ON FOOD STALLS IN MONSOON

As FDA and PMC play game of pass-the-buck, no action since 3 months on roadside stalls violating safety norms

 

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are pointing at each other when it comes to who should inspect roadside food stalls and take appropriate action. The end result is little action against roadside food stalls that violate safety standards in the crucial monsoon months, when consumers are at maximum risk of disease because of unhygienic food.
Amendment in law
The question of who should be out on the streets inspecting food and taking action against offenders arose because of an amendment in the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA) 2006, and the PMC claims after the change in the law it is solely the responsibility of the FDA to take action.

Eat at your own risk: A string of open food stalls beside accumulated water, which is an invitation to food contamination and disease. Pic/Krunal Gosavi

While the PMC did not take any action on such food stalls in the past three months, the FDA admits very little was done by it — some FDA officials, who requested anonymity, even said the agency was taking no action at all against food stalls.
The finger-pointing between the PMC and the FDA means there is just no check on the quality of food served at thousands of food stalls in the city.
Shabana Yasmin, who lives in a hostel, said the lack of action against food stalls was noticeable as vendors no longer bothered about hygiene.
“As a hostelite, I have to eat street food a lot of times and I used to think that it is safe to have it,” Yasmin said. “But if you observe these roadside stalls now in the monsoon, all you can see is the use of dirty water and food served in an unhealthy environment.”
PMC officials claim that according to the amended Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, only the FDA is authorised to take action against food stall owners.
On the other hand, FDA officials claim that while they have the authority to grant licences and permissions to food stalls, the onus of taking action against these is not only on them but also on the PMC.
According to information received under the Right To Information Act using the open inspection facility, the PMC took action against roadside food stalls only till May. After that, there was no action taken by the PMC.
PMC Health Officer Dr S T Pardeshi said the civic body pitched in till May in the interests of safety of food consumers even though the rights to inspect and take action were given solely to the FDA last year.
“According to the Food Safety Act, the rights to take action on streetside food vendors are vested with the FDA from August 2011, but despite that we kept taking action on roadside food vendors till May 2012 to control the nuisance,” Pardeshi said. “From June 2012 we haven’t taken any action as it should be done by the FDA.”
Others in the PMC did not agree with Pardeshi and an official, who requested anonymity, said the civic body was still supposed to monitor roadside food under the provisions of the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporations (BPMC) Act.
Earlier, the PMC was taking action under Section 337/338 of the BPMC Act, according to which all the food kept in the open on stalls was seized and destroyed.
According to a source, the PMC action stopped gradually. The PMC used to take action with a central team earlier, but from June officials ordered action be taken with the help of teams from the ward offices, but this lasted only a few days.
Much on FDA plate
The FDA claims that since it was entrusted with the task of granting of food licences to all eateries and food stalls, the additional responsibility was proving to be a burden on the food safety officers (FSOs).
FDA Assistant Commissioner (Food) Shivaji Desai said he had only 33 FSOs and they were unable to cope with both licensing and inspection.
“Our food safety officers are taking action on the roadside food stalls, but licensing according to the new Food Safety Act has to be done by the FDA and the FDA is focusing more on it,” Desai said. “We have a total of 33 FSOs and they are engaged in licensing activity as well as inspecting street food and taking action against offenders.”
After the amendment in the FSSA of 2006 became operational in August 2011, it became mandatory for all food manufacturers, including small eateries, to register or renew their license from the FDA.
The 12 food inspectors with the PMC later on got the rank of gazetted officers and came to be called food safety officers. This team of 12 was the one taking action against food stalls along with sanitary inspectors of the respective ward officers, but now they are now working with the FDA.

Doctorspeak
On the ill effects on the health of a person consuming unregulated street food, Dr Vikas Pai, a senior physician at Pai Clinic, said: “Most times the food gets contaminated because of flies and mosquitoes, and this results in various stomach-related diseases. Unhygienic conditions also cause malaria, dengue and typhoid. Food kept by vendors near garbage bins and toilets gets contaminated early and this can cause various diseases.

Delhi decides to ban gutka - THE HINDU

Notification banning manufacture, sale, transportation & storage to be issued today

The Delhi Government has decided to impose a complete ban on manufacture, sale, display, transportation and storage of gutka and other related products in the city.

Health Minister A. K. Walia said on Monday that the decision was taken at a high-level meeting at Delhi Secretariat and a notification to this effect will be issued on Tuesday. “Gutka and other products contain paan masala, nicotine and tobacco particles, hence are harmful. After the notification, manufacture and sale of gutka and other products will be banned. Violation will attract strict action. The Prevention of Food Adulteration Department has been authorised to collect samples and register cases against traders and manufacturers violating the ban.”

The ban is being imposed based on the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulation to prohibit addition of tobacco or nicotine to food (and thereby ban gutka), which was issued on August 1, 2011.

With this latest decision, Delhi has become the country’s 13th State to use the FSSAI regulation to ban sale and manufacture of gutka. Twelve States, including Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Haryana, Jharkhand, Punjab, Chandigarh and Gujarat, have banned gutka and paan masala recently.

Non-government organisation Voluntary Health Association of India executive director Bhavna B. Mukhopadhyay said: “By banning gutka, the Delhi Government has demonstrated a tremendous commitment towards safeguarding the health of the people, especially youth, from the growing menace of tobacco addiction. All States should now implement the FSSAI law in the larger interest of the younger generation which is falling prey to this tobacco menace.”

She said the prevalence of tobacco use in Delhi currently is 24.3 per cent among adults (40.9 per cent of males and 3.7 per cent of females). Also 10.5 per cent adults (16.7 per cent males and 2.8 per cent females) consume smokeless tobacco like gutka, khaini, zarda and other chewing tobacco products.

According to Global Adult Tobacco Survey India, the estimated number of tobacco users in India is 274.9 million, of which 25.9 per cent are users of smokeless tobacco while 5.7 per cent are cigarette smokers and 9.2 per cent smoke bidi.

This reveals that more Indians (almost 75 per cent) consume smokeless forms of tobacco that includes paan, gutka, paan masala, khaini and mawa.

PIL to prohibit tobacco sale

A public interest litigation has been filed in the Madras high court seeking a direction to the state government to prohibit the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of tobacco and nicotine products, including pan masala and gutkha, that are used for human consumption in the state.
When the PIL filed by advocate P.T. Geotom “in the interest of public health” came up for hearing before Chief Justice M.Y. Eqbal and Justice T.S. Sivagnanam on Monday, advocate general A. Navaneethakrishnan sought time to file a counter and was granted six weeks to do so.
The petitioner said that in India there were almost 275 million tobacco users and each year about one million people die as a result of the use of tobacco products and according to the data available with the World Health Organization, if this present trend continues, tobacco will account for 13 per cent of all deaths in India by 2020.
A survey by the Adyar Cancer Institute stated that 40 per cent of Chennai children were affected by passive smoking.
States such as Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Kerala and Rajasthan have already banned all consumable products containing tobacco and nicotine as an ingredient and many other states, including Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, are also intending to ban such products, Geotom said.
The petitioner contended that a welfare state had to protect the health of its citizens. Keeping in mind that public interest and health is a priority, a duty was enshrined under Articles 21, 39 (e) and 47 of the Constitution on the governments at the state and the Centre to implement the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and various other related enactments, he said.

DINAMALAR NEWS

State eyes Dubai model to ensure food safety - THE HINDU

Initiatives to be made more scientific, standardised

The State Food Safety wing is looking to the Dubai Municipality Food Control Department to help it develop food safety manuals and food inspection checklists so that the food safety initiatives here can be made more scientific and standardised.

The Dubai Municipality Food Control Department is already in talks with the Food Safety wing here on developing safety guidelines which are totally science-based and in drawing up a programme for the surveillance of food-borne illnesses.

A formal collaboration with the Dubai municipality for initiatives in improving food safety is also being contemplated, said Biju Prabhakar, Commissioner of Food Safety.

“We thought of seeking the assistance of Dubai Municipality Food Control Department because even though their food safety initiative is fairly nascent, it is fully backed by science, is well-streamlined and has found considerable acceptance in the food industry too,” Mr. Prabhakar said.

Bobby Krishna, Senior Food Studies Officer in the Food Control Department of Dubai Municipality, told The Hindu here on Saturday that food safety was a global concern and had to be approached in a larger perspective, as a crucial component of public health, and a vital element of economy, especially with Kerala exploring its tourism potential in a big way.

“Just as it happened in Kerala, in Dubai too, the food safety drive gained momentum in 2009 following the death of two young children, reportedly due to food poisoning. It gave us the impetus to drive hard — the licensing process, grading of food businesses, hygiene and safety standards, classification of food items, and the shelf life of each… everything was fully backed by evidence. We also invested quite a lot on educating those in the business about the basics of food safety, like hygienic food handling and preventing cross-contamination etc,” Mr. Krishna said.

First step

The first step in having a streamlined food safety management system is in getting everyone in the food business to take licences/registrations. There has to be a grading system for hotels/ eateries so that each works within its scope.

“You need to develop a good food safety team, which includes food safety experts, risk assessors, including bio chemistry and microbiology experts, epidemiologists, all backed with international food safety resources. Food inspectors have to undergo rigorous training and follow standard procedure,” he said.

As for street vendors, he suggested that the government create ‘safe zones’ in various parts of the city where all safe processes and infrastructure for producing safe food could be provided by the government. Vendors could be given subsidy for utilising these resources.

The approach had to be top-down and gradual.

The recent initiative of the Dubai municipality, called the Person-in-Charge (PIC) programme — an initiative that Kerala could emulate — was expected to make Dubai attain world-class standards in food safety.

“PIC programme means that in every food business there should be a responsible person who will undergo a training programme in food safety, equivalent to UK’s Ofqual –accredited food safety standards. The PICs will be responsible for ensuring that food safety norms and hygienic practices were followed by food handlers in the outlet. This is a U.S. concept, but Dubai municipality will be the first to introduce the concept, with the condition that PIC certification awarding bodies too should have ISO 17024 certification, Mr. Krishna says.

India to focus on food, drug regulation in 12th plan, says minister

The central government has been focusing on strengthening regulatory policies for food and drug sectors and the task would be taken care of in the 12th Five Year Plan, Minister of State for Health Sudip Bandyopadhyay said here Monday.
"Our current focus is to strengthen the regulatory framework... We propose to augment regulatory capacities both in drug and food sectors in the 12th Five Year Plan," Bandyopadhyay said while addressing a workshop on patient safety and drug detection technology.

Love your street food? It can kill you

KOLKATA: How safe is that mouth-watering biryani sold in Dalhousie or the delicious cutlets at the roadside eateries? A sample test done by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) reveals an alarming result. It says most street food contains hazardous chemical ingredients.
KMC's food and adulteration department officials said 255 food samples have been tested in the last one year. Poisonous chemical ingredients were found in 51 of them, which is more than 20% of all samples tested. These chemical substances are being used by vendors to give a colour coat on vegetables and other street food to make them look more attractive to the customers.
For example, tests on cutlets sold in places like Dalhousie and Esplanade revealed that they contain high quantity of metanil yellow, a dangerous chemical substance. This chemical can even cause cancer if consumed for a long period of time, say experts.
Samples of biryani were found with a chemical substance known as Tartrazine, which can cause liver cirrhosis and cancer if consumed excessively.
In sweets like bonde, danadar and laddu, metanil yellow has been found in very high quantity. The sauce used in rolls or chowmein contains rhodamine that can also cause liver cirrhosis.
It has also been found that the fat on cottage cheese should have being stored sucked up to be used later in other sweets. A case was lodged against a reputable confectionary shop for resorting to this method.
It was also found that pepper is poured in a bucket full of kerosene to keep it fresh for a longer time.
The findings also show that the vegetables that we buy from the markets are not safe either. Vegetables like 'potol' contains copper sulphate and diamond green, which if consumed in excess can hit the nervous system and liver. The colour used to mix these chemical substances can't be removed even after a wash. In haldi too, lead chromade is used. Red potatoes were found containing congored rhodamine, which can even lead to blindness if had in excess. Auramine and tartrazine are being used in adhar dal.
Vegetables and street food apart, even fish we eat is not free from dangerous chemicals. Congored rhodamine is used to ensure ears of fish remain bright red, which means the fish is fresh. In late eighties, over 125 people were paralyzed after taking adulterated oil in Behala. Buyers normally look out for this redness to see if the fish is fresh. But little are they aware that the redness is actually engineered to fool them.
Officials of KMC's food and adulteration department said that in most cases, nothing much could be done against offenders even if cases are being registered against them.
Member, mayor-in-council (food and adulteration), Partha Pratim Hazari, said: "We cannot do much on this with the existing rules. From August, a new Food Standard and Safety Act has been introduced on Tuesday. We can now take some action as it will have some provisions, which are not there in the existing act," he said.
Mayor Sovan Chatterjee said that a new food inspector will be appointed to revamp the entire food and adulteration department and a decision has been taken to modernize the laboratory. "Officers have been told to increase vigil," he said.

Dead rat found in school midday meal

FAZILKA: A dead rat found in the midday meal served to students of S D Senior Secondary School's elementary wing on Friday has exposed the blatant carelessness of the authorities in keeping up with the primary objective of the scheme - to provide a healthy diet. The rodent was spotted by a staffer at the time the students began to eat and the food was being distributed, thus aggravating any possible risk of an ailment.
The matter was brought to the notice of the school management though the distribution of food was instantly put to an end. The vendor was summoned and the food returned. Vipin Kumar, who is the vendor at an NGO 'Istri Shakti' and given the task of supplying food to schools in the district claimed that freshly-prepared "kadi chawal" had been sent to the institution in the morning and the management had accepted the material after inspection.
When questioned about the presence of a dead rodent, Vipin said tersely: "This could have happened in the school wherever they store the midday meal till its served. We thoroughly check the meals beforehand and carefully package the dishes. The entire stock was called back after the complaint." Fazilka district education officer Sandip Dhria had sought a detailed report from the school principal.
On coming to know of the happening, a number of parents gathered outside the school protesting and demanding a stern action. "Seems they want to kill our kids. What do talk of standards, they do not even ensure the minimum hygiene," rued a parent.
This has not been an isolated case of adulteration in midday meals. Earlier, reports came in of the presence of worms in food.

'Gutka' ban: What will happen to tobacco farmers, street vendors?

New Delhi: Ten states have banned a popular form of chewing tobacco in a major policy shift that may save millions of lives and strike a blow at the global tobacco industry, already reeling from new anti-smoking laws around the world.
But an estimated 65 million Indians use "gutka" - a heady form of chewing tobacco made of crushed betel nut, nicotine and laced with thousands of chemicals - and furious manufacturers are fighting to have the bans overturned.
Companies such as Delhi-based DS Group are dragging states to courts, complaining that the billion-dollar industry should be regulated as tobacco and not as food and that the bans threaten the livelihoods of millions of farmers and street vendors scattered from Bangalore to New Delhi.
"Nobody understands the bigger picture. What will happen to those poor farmers? No one thinks of them," said a company official on condition of anonymity.
Last week, Punjab became the tenth of 28 states to ban the sale of gutka after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India reclassified it as a foodstuff, prohibiting the use of tobacco and nicotine as "ingredients in any food product".
Gutka making is controlled by family-run Indian firms, with no international tobacco companies in the business. Several other forms of chewing tobacco considered less harmful have not been reclassified as foodstuffs and are not banned.
Some 482 million people live in the 10 states which have enforced the bans. Delhi, Gujarat and Chandigarh, with a combined population of 77 million, are due to follow suit - Delhi this week.
More Indians, including children, chew gutka than smoke, making the trend of outlawing the cheap, colourful packets a more effective health policy in the world's second most populous nation than anti-smoking laws like Australia's ban on cigarette pack logos.
"We're using all kinds of means to persuade the rest (of the states) to enforce the ban. It's a central legislation. States have no option but to abide now," said Amal Pushp, director of the health ministry's National Tobacco Control Programme.
Gutka is popular with the young and old alike, many of whom are blase about the nation's leading cause of oral cancer. Some of the chemicals in some brands of gutka are also used in tile cleaners and battery acids.
"PATH TO DEATH"
"If I knew it would land me here, in this condition, I wouldn't have laid my eyes on it," said Abdul Kayum, 62, sitting on a hospital bed, his face bandaged after doctors cut out part of his jaw, gums and teeth to stop the cancer spreading.
"This is a path to death," said Abdul, who sold his land in Bihar to pay for the $9,000 treatment.
Asia's third-largest economy battles almost 80,000 new cases of oral cancer yearly. The treatment of tobacco-related diseases cost more than $5 billion in 2002-2003, according to the most recent data available cited in a health ministry and WHO report.
That compares to about $1.4 billion that the government earns in excise revenue from tobacco.
Tobacco has been chewed in India for centuries, dating back to the Mughal era when nawabs had a concoction known as "paan" - a betel leaf wrapped around a mixture of areca nut, pastes, spices and tobacco - to refresh their palates and aid digestion.
Gutka and paan masala are products of recent decades, available as dry, portable and readymade variants of the traditional paan, to cater for a fast-paced, modern life.
"Eating chocolate is an addiction, eating burgers is an addiction. They are also 'food'. Will the government ban those too?" asked Sanjay Bechan, executive director of the Smokeless Tobacco Federation, adding that the gutka industry was already reporting losses.
"Are we being ruled by Hitler? This is supposed to be a democracy. People make their own choices - gutka or no gutka."
Madhya Pradesh was the first to ban the product, and Kerala, Bihar and seven others hopped on the bandwagon.
"We received several complaints from the police that schoolboys are taking these products and that hit me," Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told Reuters.
"We had to do this for the welfare of the state, no other reason."
Maharashtra, Punjab and Kerala went a step further by banning all smokeless forms of tobacco, including "paan masala", usually sold as a mouth freshener.
But it remains to be seen how well the bans are enforced. It will be an uphill battle to keep gutka away from children like 16-year-old Arun Bhati, who has been using it since ninth grade.
"If it gets banned here, I'll still manage to get my fix," said Arun confidently, tearing open a pouch of gutka with his teeth. "You can get it on the sly."

Adulteration drops with gutka ban

The ban on gutka and pan masala in Maharashtra is having another positive fallout. Officials say, thanks to the embargo, the food adulteration problem here is diminishing.

Tests carried out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on 11,000 gutka and pan masala samples over the last few years had found 98% of them adulterated with calcium or magnesium carbonate. The substances gave extra texture and flow to gutka and pan masala while adding considerably their harmful effects. Gutka and pan masala were banned in the state in July.

FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagade confirmed that food adulteration cases have come down of late in the city but, at the same time, cautioned against buyers dropping their guard or officials easing vigilance. "Buyers must know what ingredients are present in the food they purchase ," said Zagade. "This is possible only if they make an effort to test the food items to check for the presence of adulterants."

Cancer surgeon Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi of Tata Memorial Hospital explained how gutka is adulterated. "Gutka is a combination of areca nut (90%) and tobacco (10%). A popular adulterant, gambier , is routinely used in place of catechu (kattha) since the latter is expensive. Gambier is unfit for human consumption ." Dr Chaturvedi added that excessive amount of magnesium carbonate is toxic to cheek lining, kidney and heart.

For years, gutka, pan masala and milk have been adulterators' favourites products to contaminate, followed by edible oils and spices. Such has been the rampancy of the menace that carcinogenic (cancer-causing ) contaminants have been discovered in condiments as common as chilli powder and turmeric.

Experts underlined that food adulteration should not be viewed only through the prism of getting poor quality food at higher prices. It should be seen for the deleterious impact it has. A ubiquitous example of the insidious threat, they say, is milk, which is frequently found tarred with starch, detergents and other chemicals.

In July, FDA had busted a milk adulteration racket in Malad (W). The racketeers were buying milk packets from company outlets and slitting their sides to remove a third of the contents. The packets were then refilled with water and distributed to houses and hotels in Malad (W).

Vasundhara Deodhar, a consumer member of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, said citizens can verify if a milk packet has been tampered with "by pressing it in the centre between their fingers" . "If any seam on the side does not contract uniformly with the other sides, then the packet was interfered with," she said.

Water at your doorstep, but not safe to drink

• 
  The Hindu - Tankers have become the main source of water in many localities in the absence 
  of piped water supply. Photo : M. Vedhan
• 
  The Hindu - Food safety and Corporation officials pour chlorine into a private water tanker 
  at Padi junction on Saturday. Photo: K. Pichumani

Over the past few days, nearly 90 private water tankers have been caught transporting water without even a trace of chlorine

Does a private water tanker supply water to your locality? If that is the case, it is time that you checked how safe it is for drinking. A recent water quality test conducted by the Chennai Corporation and the Food Safety department showed that water transported in 90 private tankers across the city did not have even a trace of chlorine.
As many as 90 private tankers that cater largely to apartment complexes, hotels, hospitals and commercial establishments were checked over the past few days. The water samples transported by private vehicles were checked in various areas such as Koyambedu, Retteri and Padi. The exercise follows the recent death of two construction workers from West Bengal, allegedly due to acute diarrheal disease after drinking water procured from a private tanker supplier at their workplace in Pallikaranai.
These tankers are becoming indispensable as the demand for water is on the rise. While Metrowater’s supply is primarily through pipes, some localities rely on tankers for their daily needs. Chennai Metrowater operates nearly 670 tanker trips every day and charges a nominal amount for them. The remaining gap between demand and supply, especially for the suburbs and large establishments, is mainly bridged by private water lorries. While over 2,000 private tankers are said to be in the business in and around Chennai, there is no regulation or monitoring of the quality of water supplied or the number of trips operated by these private suppliers.
According to sources in the Food Safety department, the Chennai Corporation is the authority to enforce quality norms on private water lorries in the city while the Public Health department fulfils that function in the city’s fringes. None of the water samples checked had the minimum chlorine level of 0.2 parts per million (ppm), as per prevalent specifications. The water in these tankers had been extracted from borewells or open wells in agricultural areas.
“We are creating awareness of the importance of chlorination and we also add chlorine in water in some lorries. The drivers are advised to keep the tankers clean and also taught easy methods of adding chlorine,” said an official. Details of the tanker operators are recorded and officials said they would soon be served with notices to improve water quality.
Private water suppliers must be brought under the purview of the Food Safety and Standards Act so that they can be regularised and provided licences to operate trips, the officials added. The random checks will continue in southern parts of the city, including Velachery. On Saturday, packaged drinking water transported in nearly 30 bubbletop containers was seized on account of being unsafe for consumption.
Meanwhile, some of the private tanker suppliers in Selaiyur said that while demand and competition has increased, sourcing water had become increasingly difficult. The owners of borewells sell water to those who pay the highest and the indiscriminate drawing of water has led to the wells drying quickly. To ensure water quality, stringent rules must be enforced on the volume to be extracted and borewell owners must also be held accountable, they said.

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Rs 12 lakh ceiling not applicable to small-scale FBOs: Madras High Court

In response to the Writ Petition Number 4791/12 filed by Madurai Managar Anaitthu Vanigargal Nala Sangam (represented by its president L Thangavel and co-petitioner P Arivarasu, who owns a small-scale food and beverage industry) and 16 other writ petitions (which were filed later), the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court (comprising Justice K Chandru and Justice V Ramasubramanian) passed an interim order, ruling that the ceiling of Rs 12 lakh imposed on food business operators (FBOs) by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) may not apply to small-scale industries related to the food and beverage business.

"They ruled that the interim order that would make the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, and the Food Safety and Standards Regulations (FSSR), 2011, work, even while permitting the petitioners to carry on their business within the framework of the law, can be passed, and directed the Centre to bring all writ petitions challenging the validity of FSSA and FSSR to the Supreme Court's notice," said Ganesh Jeyaraj, member, Madurai Managar Anaitthu Vanigargal Nala Sangam.

"The scientific panels and scientific committees, which were scrapped upon the apex court's recommendation, have been reconstituted, but the petitioners contend that this hasn't been done in accordance with Section 13 of the Act. They are also challenging FSSAI's decision not to adhere to the Act and FSSR for fixing the standards for each commodity," he informed.

"The judges also said that Tamil Nadu's food safety commissioner will draw samples and proceed with the other requirements subject to the final orders to be passed in the writ petition. He was directed to accept the petitioners as having complied with the labelling requirements in the form of stickers," Jeyaraj said.

He added, "The earlier stay and interim injunctions will be vacated. If the apex court is monitoring the implementation of the Act, no other constitutional court can work at cross purposes. If a person willingly complies with a substantial part of the Regulations, he may be kept out."

Mobile labs to check adulteration of milk - JMC to procure at least six such laboratories

Concerned over the influx of adulterated milk in the city, the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) has decided to buy computerised mobile testing laboratories to check samples on a daily basis.

Officials said the health wing of the Corporation had sent a proposal to the government to buy half a dozen mobile laboratories to test the daily supply of milk within the municipal limits, which at times has been found of poor quality for human consumption.
So far, the corporation was dependent on the laboratory, which takes days for testing the samples and giving out results. The new mobile laboratories will give results in few minutes, allowing greater ability of the staff to impose a fine on the dairy owners.
A study by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has found that 83 per cent of milk sold in urban areas and districts of the state is not safe for consumption.
The FSSAI had taken 18 samples from both urban and rural areas of the state as part of its nationwide study to identify different types of adulteration in the liquid milk and only three samples confirmed to the standards set by the government.
The study had found that most common adulteration in the state is glucose and skimmed milk products (SMP), mixed with an intention to earn profit at the expenses of heath of common man.
Health Officer of JMC Dr Vinod Sharma said, “We are waiting for the funds to procure half a dozen mobile testing laboratores, which could help us in taking speedy action against defaulting dairy owners”.
Dr Sharma said in the absence of modern gadgets, it was becoming difficult to curb the influx of adulterated milk and its products, which is at times very dangerous for the health of the people.
The study has revealed that water is the most common adulterant. It not only reduces the nutritional value of milk but contaminated water may also pose a health hazard to the consumers.
Unable to cope up with the increasing demand of milk locally, Jammu imports nearly six lakh metric tonnes of milk from other parts of the country annually. Most of it is directly supplied to the distributors, with not much tests done by the authorities.