DINAKARAN NEWS

Tighter regulations likely for vitamin supplement market

New Delhi: The government is planning to tighten the regulatory landscape of the R4,500-crore vitamins and neutraceuticals market in the country. Different arms of government — the drug regulator, Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), and the food regulator, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) — are taking a series of steps to correct the anomaly of multivitamins getting marketed as dietary supplements. First, DCGI may make it mandatory for all such vitamin manufacturers who use any drug as ingredients in their products to take a no-objection certificate from the government. This is likely to become compulsory for manufacturers who use medicinal ingredients for 'non medicinal use', which would include food supplements.
This permission may become mandatory in two cases — when drug substances are being imported for non-medicinal use and when drug substances are getting manufactured for non-medicinal uses, clearly targeting vitamins and nutraceuticals which are being marketed as food supplements. Additionally, the drug regulator has decided to form a committee with officials of DCGI, FSSAI and state drug regulators as its members to lay down guidelines for food and pharma companies in the vitamin and neutraceuticals business.
A decision to this effect was taken in a recent meeting of Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB). "It was also agreed that the manufacturers intending to manufacture such formulations should be asked to provide the method of analysis or testing protocols for testing of the finished formulations to ensure that these formulations conform to the prescribed standards," an official said.
In the last few months, the food regulator has been issuing multiple directions to state food regulator offices to not issue licences for food supplements, which, under law, can only be issued by the central regulator — FSSAI. State food regulators were even instructed to cancel and withdraw licences erroneously granted.
The blurred line between drug and food supplement surfaced in 2009 when the drug price regulator — National Pharma Pricing Authority — said that pharma firms are marketing drugs as food supplement to escape the price ceiling net.
In a letter to the health ministry, it cited the example of food supplements such as Ranbaxy's Revital and Germany-based Merck KgaA's vitamin E product Evion, which, it said, were earlier getting marketed as drugs. A Bihar High Court order of 2009, however, held that health supplements marketed by various drug companies such as Feradol manufactured by Pfizer, Revital (Ranbaxy), A to Z (Alkem), Beneficial, CSN and DSN capsules (Shreya Life Sciences) need to be marketed as health supplements as the manufacturers have made no therapeutic claims on the label to suggest that can cure.
The Indian nutraceutical market — R4,400 crore in 2009 — is expected to more than double to R9,500 crore by 2013. Currently, multivitamins marketed as food supplement are just required to label their product 'not for medicinal use'.

Bogged down by cases, govt stops raids on eateries

HENNAI: The Chennai Corporation may be seizing tonnes of rotting meat from railway stations, but the food safety department has not cracked down on eateries and shops that sell substandard food since June this year.

Food safety department officials said they were unable to take legal action against shops after the Madras high court in June stayed central regulations requiring small eateries and restaurants to conform to quality norms such as registration, employing a technical person, chemical analysis of food sample and ban on menu adaptation. However, the court has not stayed inspections by food safety department.

Corporation officials said raids on eateries were now the duty of the food safety department. A senior official in the food safety department said there were 31 writ petitions filed against the department by shop owners. This has dampened the department's efforts.

Records of the food safety department say that between August last year and June this year, only 457 samples of food products were tested. They found 41 samples to be adulterated or misbranded. The most adulterated food products were milk (25 samples), tea & coffee (seven) and drinking water (four). Officials said there were six laboratories across the state to check the quality of food products, but nothing much is done of late.

Meanwhile, shop owners said the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is too stringent. Under the act, a fine up to Rs 10 lakh can be imposed for a small violation, they said. R Srinivasan, secretary of Tamil Nadu Hotels Association, said: "It's difficult to meet the standards prescribed in the act, because most raw materials used to make food are contaminated."

The food safety department is also responsible for issuing licences to shops. The 2006 act makes it compulsory for eateries and hotels with a turnover of less than Rs 12 lakh to register with the department. The act stipulates that food traders with an annual turnover of up to Rs 12 lakh should pay a registration fee of Rs 100. Those with a turnover of more than Rs 12 lakh have to remit Rs 5,000. But only a few traders in the state have registered or got licence from the department. Data show that 13,153 licenses and
91,693 registrations were issued by the department. The number of licences include those for hotels (1,539), restaurants (1,048) and retail trade (3,440). Registrations have been given for 4,973 hotels, 995 restaurants and 42,594 retail traders.

Consumer activists said that the act should be implemented effectively. "It is the duty of the food safety officials to provide hygienic food to the public. There should be proper enforcement without corruption," said Consumers Association of India trustee R Desikan.

Govt to ban sale of gutka, other chewable tobacco

CHENNAI: The state government is likely to ban gutka and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine in a couple of weeks. The food safety department has recommended a ban on the manufacture, sale and storage of such products under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulation issued on August 1, 2011.

Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Delhi have already banned these products. A senior official said: "Under the act, the food safety commissioner has the power to ban gutka and paan masala. We are sure we will be able to enforce the ban as early as possible," he said.

According to the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations of 2011, 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. The act includes Rule 2.3.4, according to which tobacco and nicotine should not be used as ingredients in any food products. The state could now ban gutka using this regulation coupled with a Supreme Court ruling that stated, "since pan masala, gutka and supari are eaten for taste and nourishment, they are all food." The central government has also sent letters to all states proposing a ban on these tobacco products.

A public interest litigation petition filed by advocate P T Geotom is pending with the Madras High Court which ordered notice to the chief secretary, health secretary, commissioner of food safety and others. Geotom said he had sent a representation to the authorities on August 4, 2012 requesting a ban on sale of consumable tobacco products and restrictions on sale of cigarettes near educational institutions and no-smoking zones

The state has registered a rise in the incidence of oral and other forms of cancer, since a sizeable population is addicted to such products. Health activists and NGOs had been pushing for a ban on tobacco products. Anti-tobacco activists cite several reasons for banning gutka. A recent report of the Union ministry of health states that 28 out of the 3,095 chemical components in chewing tobacco products (including gutka) are proven carcinogens. The most abundant group of carcinogens is the tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines. More than 90% of oral cancer in India is directly associated with tobacco use. India spends 300 billion annually in both public and private on treatment of tobacco-related illnesses.

Food Safety Act: Traders get only 'assurance,' no action

Indore: The grievances of trader community regarding Food Safety and Standards Act are still far from being addressed as the Centre has not taken any concrete step in that direction so far.
The traders have been opposing some of the provisions of this act calling them too 'harsh'.
Several representations were made by the traders before various concerned bodies, including Food Safety and Standard Authority of India early this year to bring about alterations in the act.
However traders claim that 'stringent' provisions of the act were yet to be altered by the centre.
"Recently, a letter was received from union health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, in which the minister only assured to look into the controversial provisions of the act ," said Ramesh Khandelwal, president of MP Food Manufacturers and Sellers Federation, which is leading traders against the act in the state.
Khandelwal, however, added that traders would continue to apply for food licences under the act, as they have reservations against few of its norms and not the entire act.
Food safety officer Manish Swami told DNA that till date around 5,000 applications have been received for registrations and licences under the act in this financial year.
He added that the food department has made registrations and issued licences to around 1,500 traders in the city.
Swami also clarified that deadline for renewal of licences has been extended by six months on August 5.

MUTTON STALL RAID - KRISHNAGIRI FSO ACTIVITIES

DAILY THANTHI NEWS

A¼wíAK ñ£õ†ìˆF™ ðF¾ ªêŒò£î æ†ì™èœ e¶ è´‹ ïìõ®‚¬è èªô‚ì˜ â„êK‚¬è

A¼wíAK,ªêŠ.17&
A¼wíAK ñ£õ†ìˆ F™ ðF¾ ªêŒò£î æ† ì™èœ ñŸÁ‹ è¬ìèœ e¶ è´‹ ïìõ®‚¬è â´‚èŠð´‹ âù èªô‚ì˜ ñ«èvõó¡ â„êK‚¬è M´ˆ¶œ ÷£˜.
èô‰î£Œ¾ Æì‹
A¼wíAK ñ£õ†ì èªô‚ì˜ Ü½õôèˆF™, ¹Fò àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ ê†ìˆF¡ W› àKñ‹ ñŸÁ‹ ðF¾ ªðÁî™ °Pˆ¶ èô‰î£Œ¾ Ã†ì‹ ïì‰î¶. ÞF™ ñ£õ†ì õ¼õ£Œ ܽõô˜, ñ£õ†ì Gòñù ܽõô˜ (àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ HK¾), ܬùˆ¶ õ†ì£ó àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ ܽõô˜ èœ ñŸÁ‹ ñ£õ†ì õEè˜ êƒè î¬ôõ˜, º‚Aò õEè˜ êƒèƒèO¡ HóFGFèœ èô‰¶ ªè£‡ì£˜èœ.
Þ‰î ÆìˆF™ àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ ê†ìˆ¬î ܬù õ¼‹ H¡ðŸø «õ‡´‹. àKñ‹ Ü™ô¶ ðF¾ ªêŒòŠ ðì£î æ†ì™èœ ñŸÁ‹ ܬùˆ¶ è¬ìèÀ‹ M¬ó M™ ðF¾ ªêŒò «õ‡´‹ Ü™ô¶ àKñ‹ ªðø«õ‡ ´‹. àKñ‹ Ü™ô¶ ðF¾ ªêŒò ñÁˆî£«ô£, î£ñî ð´ˆFù£«ô£ ê†ìŠð® ïìõ®‚¬è â´‚èŠð´‹ â¡Á èªô‚ì˜ â„êK‚¬è M´ˆ¶œ÷î£è ªîKM‚èŠ ð†ì¶.
制¬öŠ¹
àKñ‹ Ü™ô¶ ðF¾ ªðÁî™ °Pˆî îèõ™è¬÷ ܉î‰î õ†ì£ó àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ ܽõô˜è¬÷ ܵA Mõóƒè¬÷ ªðŸÁ‚ ªè£œ÷ô£‹ â¡Á‹ Æ ìˆF™ ªîKM‚èŠð†ì¶.
«ñ½‹, àí¾ ªð£¼œ îò£KŠð£÷˜èœ, MŸð¬ùò£÷˜ èœ, ñO¬è è¬ì‚è£ó˜èœ, ꣬ô«ò£ó àí¾ è¬ì‚è£ó˜èœ, «ð‚ èK è¬ì‚è£ó˜èœ, Þ¬ø„C Mò£ð£Kèœ, F¼ñí ñ‡ ìðƒèO™ àí¾ îò£KŠ ð£÷˜èœ, ªî£NŸê£¬ô, F¬óòóƒ°èœ, è™ÖK àí¾ M´Fèœ ñŸÁ‹ ܬùˆ¶ àí¾ GÁõùƒèÀ‹ ñ‚èÀ‚° ð£¶è£Š ð£ù àí¾ õöƒ°õ àí¾ ð£¶è£Š¹ ¶¬ø‚° º¿ 制¬öŠ¹ õöƒè «õ‡´‹ â¡Á‹ ÆìˆF™ «è†´‚ªè£œ÷Šð†ì¶.

Centre urges UP to ban gutka

With a number states deciding to ban use and sale of gutka, the Union health ministry has urged the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government to follow its counterparts in rest of the country in banning sale of such products in the state.
So far, states of Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Bihar, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Delhi have implemented the provision as envisaged under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regulation and enforced enforce ban on manufacture, sale and storage of gutka and pan masala containing tobacco and nicotine in their states. Chandigarh also followed the suit and banned the sale, manufacture and storage of gutka.
In a recent letter to the health department in UP, the health ministry has asked the state to ban gutka in their state as well. “The consumption of tobacco laced pan masala is high in UP,” said a senior official in health ministry. In Delhi alone, about 8.3 per cent population consumes gutka.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), about 3.82 crore people consume gutka in the country. Experts feel that if the same restriction is replicated in other states as well, the number of cases of mouth cancer will come down drastically within five years as gutka is the main reason for the deadly cancer.
The health ministyr had earlier issued instructions to the states against allowing use of tobacco-laced gutka or pan masala, after it was established that gutka was a food product that fell under the Prevention of Food Adultration Law. The Supreme Court had also ruled in an order that gutka be treated as a food item. That being the case, its adulteration is violative of laws. Tobacco, which is an injurious substance, cannot be used in gutka, the health ministry had said earlier. The ministry hasdalso asked the the FSSAI to make relevant amendments in the prevention of food adultration law.
The ban on gutka has had an enormous effect on the lives of the people. According to a recent survey, the recent ban on gutka and tobacco with pan masala and nicotine has impacted over 580 million people across the country.

Retail FDI, a game-changer

Needless middlemen in the mandis will be eliminated. — Sushil Kumar Verma

Farmers, consumers and small entrepreneurs stand to benefit from supply efficiencies.

The announcement on notifying 100 per cent FDI in single brand retail, and opening up multi-brand retail to FDI is a welcome move, and sparks hopes of restoring investor confidence and attracting more funds from overseas. It is worth reiterating the benefits expected from this move.

The arguments against FDI in multi-brand retail range from fear of local kiranas being wiped out, to farmers being exploited or use of monopolistic practices.

But several studies have emphasised that FDI in multi-brand retailing would boost the organised retail sector, with a positive impact on stakeholders, including producers, workers, employees and consumers. The fund inflow and technology from overseas would help bring in greater efficiencies down the supply chain.

LOWER PRICES

A more efficient farmer-to-consumer chain would reduce prices for the final consumer. In addition, quality of goods would improve with shorter time taken to reach the final consumer. It is also expected that food safety standards would improve with better testing and aggregation facilities.

The consumer would also benefit from the wide choice that a large multi-brand retailer can afford. The fear of predatory pricing by large retailers, Walmart, Tesco or Carrefour, is misplaced, considering the competition from multiple players. The government has also recently constituted the Competition Commission precisely to check unhealthy practices.

FARMER TO BENEFIT

The second beneficiary of FDI in the retail sector would be the farmer and producer whose price realisation would increase substantially through the organised retail sector.

According to a recent report by CII and Boston Consulting Group, an Indian farmer of tomatoes earns 30 per cent or less of the final price whereas in the developed countries, the farmer can receive as much as 70 per cent.

Further, technology and inputs would provide the farmer much-needed opportunities for growth.

A significant portion of the mark-up is on account of the existence of a large number of intermediaries with multiple margin payouts. So far, little investment has come for supply chain infrastructure such as cold storage, warehouses or refrigerated transport, with the result that as much as 40 per cent of agricultural produce may be spoilt or wasted.

Organised retail would help reduce wastage, adding to food security. Similarly, needless middlemen in the mandis, which are often known to promote cartelisation, would have to look for other employment.

ADVANTAGES FOR SMEs

Third, even the non-farming sector, particularly the small manufacturer, would reap the advantages that modern retail provides.

These small players currently do not enjoy scale and distribution network to cover the market. With the entry of organised retail, SMEs would be able to go in for bulk production with guaranteed absorption of their product.

In addition, with quality becoming the main consideration, the SMEs would have to invest in modernisation and upgradation leading to a better product for the consumer, the end beneficiary.

A recent study on the impact of organised retailing on the unorganised sector by the Indian Council for Research on International Relations (ICRIER) did not show any evidence of a downtrend in employment following the entry of organised retailers.

Instead, the study said, small retailers evolve as they add new product lines and brands, go for better displays, renovation of stores, introduction of self-service, and more credit sales and acceptance of credit cards.

It is also not uncommon to hear about local kirana stores being wiped out as a result of organised retail. But against the total retail business worth billions of dollars, the present cash-and-carry retail chains account for a market share of only about seven per cent.

In the case of Metro Cash and Carry outlets, the kirana operator benefits from sourcing his products from the German MNC at a much cheaper price. Similarly, today, corporate retailers, the kirana merchant and the local vegetable vendor co-exist side by side, with the ultimate beneficiary being the consumer.

EMPLOYMENT CREATION

Finally, in terms of employment, it is expected that organised retail would generate over four million new direct jobs which would earn an incremental income of 15-30 per cent over other alternatives.

As many as six million new jobs would be created in the infrastructure segment with logistics, packaging, housekeeping and security. Most of these are expected to come in from the back-end in rural areas.

The total retail market, according to the CII-BCG study is projected at $1,250 billion by 2020 based on macro economic factors including GDP growth, private consumption growth and mix of goods and services. Currently, organised retail trade in the country is estimated at $28 billion, just about 6-7 per cent of the total retail market. This is expected to shoot up to $ 260 billion by 2020.

Even then, organised retail would be just about one-fifth of the total market, the rest being covered by local stores. Organised retail would extend to food and beverages, clothing and accessories, electronics and appliances, furniture, health and personal care in addition to food services and sporting goods.

Thus, the new policy announcement can be expected to be a game-changer for India’s retail sector. The Government has undertaken multiple stakeholder consultations in working out the details of inviting FDI in retail, both single-brand and multi-brand.

The resulting stipulations are prudent and designed to encourage investments in the supply chain as well as add jobs. In particular, rural areas would benefit from stronger connectivities to the urban markets.

(The author is Director-General, CII.)

DAILY THANTHI NEWS

Corpn to keep an eye on water supply Inspection Of Private Tankers Shows Chlorine Content In Water Is Low

Chennai: The Chennai Corporation and the food safety department have identified 15 places in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts from where water is drawn from bore wells and open tanks by private tankers and supplied in the city. Soon, a joint squad of the revenue, health and police departments will inspect other water sources being exploited in these districts.
    Medavakkam, Padur, Nanmangalam, Keelkattalai and Kovilanchery in Kancheepuram and Poonamallee, Chenerkuppam, Veetalathottam, Alapakkam, Padianallur and Red Hills in Tiruvallur are among the places identified after two migrant workers died in Pallikaranai after drinking water supplied by a private tanker. About 107 private water tankers across the city were inspected since September 5 and it was found that the chlorine content in the water was very low.
    All is not well with Metrowater tanker lorries, too, with officials finding that chlorine content in the water in seven lorries was very low. A senior Metrowater official said: “Some tankers are operated on a contract basis and there is a chance of contamination due to the lack of cleanliness. We will initiate frequent raids to ensure water is fit for consumption.”
    A senior corporation official said: “Several private tanker firms supply water drawn from neighbouring districts and the chlorine content is low in water in most of the seized lorries. We have added chlorine to water in some of the lorries.”
    Other officials said staff shortage was affecting the raids and that mushrooming private water tanker firms were compounding the problem. “It’s difficult to conduct raids every day. So we decided to trace the sources of these firms in the two neighbouring districts” said an official. He said the collected samples would be sent to analysts in the public health department. “If there is any problem, action will be initiated against these firms,” he said.
    Sources said private water tankers supplied to hotels, apartment complexes, hospitals as well as to construction sites and that complaints were pouring in that most of these tankers were drawing water from bore wells and open tanks without any purification. Drinking water samples should have a minimum chlorine level of 0.2 parts per million (ppm), but most of the water sourced from bore wells and open wells rarely met the standards, they said.
    On the other hand, many residents in the city said they didn’t have an alternative. “There is no regular supply by Metrowater. So we have to depend on private lorries for our daily needs,” said a resident in Ambattur. The colour and smell of water supplied by private tankers were different but they had no option, he said.

Crackdown on junk food in canteens

0

Crackdown on junk food in canteens

Students might have to go back to eating mummy ke haath ke paranthe in school if the Centre's ban on junk food in canteens is implemented.

Carrying that lunch box to school, the insides of which are slowly turning pale yellow, is so, so not cool - at least that's what Delhi's school kids think. And with chips, patties and plates of hot spring rolls drawing you to the school canteen, who wants to sit in class during break and eat the paranthas your mom packed for you early morning? However, if the Centre's attempt to ban junk food in school canteens is successful, the wide range of goodies available across that counter may soon become a thing of the past. Here's what the students have to say about the 'canteen stuff'...

For me, the most un-cool thing you can do is carry a lunch box to school. I would do it when I was a kid, but now that I am in senior school, I'd rather hang out with my friends in the canteen during lunch break and buy food from there; stuff like patties, chips and a soft drink.
- Sahaj Bhadwar* DPS (Mathura Road).

I like ghar ka khana, but it's embarrassing to carry a tiffin box to school. I end up eating from others' lunch boxes and from the canteen as well. So, I get the best of both. The spring rolls in my school canteen are really good; I usually eat that and get myself a juice along with that.
- Abhishek Sharma , Class XI, DPS (Dwarka).

Sometimes, it's difficult for my mom to wake up earlier than usual just to pack me some food for school, so she gives me some money instead. I buy myself something to eat from the canteen in school. On days when I'm not too hungry, I get myself a soft drink and a packet of chips, and on the rest of the days, rolls are a good option.
- Shikhar Mathur, Class X, DPS (Dwarka).

I'm not really for carrying a lunch box to school and our school canteen isn't all that great either. So I carry an apple or something from home and maybe buy myself a packet of chips or a patty from the canteen and I'm fine with just that. I can wait to eat proper khana once I get home.
- Shraddha Kochchar, Class XI, Modern School.

Our canteen guy changed recently. Earlier we used to pig out on samosas, patties and other fried stuff, but now there are healthy options available in school. We get sandwiches, boiled veggies, etc, and instead of fizzy drinks, there is juice and milk. I'm glad about this, because had we continued eating all that fried food, we'd be heading the American way as far as junk food consumption goes.
- Anuj Ahlawat, Class XII, Navy Children's School.

Lunch time favourites
Spring rolls
Chips
Patties
Samosas
Chicken rolls

Official speak
About the junk food ban, Preeti Agnihotri, official spokesperson for FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) said, "We have initiated this idea to ban junk food in schools in India and the AC Nielsen Company for Development of Guidelines is helping us frame the guidelines. It is due to a concern about the children's health. The process is still underway and we'll implement it once the guidelines are set. Once it's implemented, we intend monitoring it closely."

Food joints told to get registered

Amritsar, September 15
The Health Department has issued fresh instructions to all food joints in the city to get them registered and obtain licences under the Food Safety Act. The department convened a meeting of owners of hotels, restaurants, and representatives of the Halwai Union to pass on the message.
The instructions were issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, which became operational in the state after August 8, 2011.
Civil Surgeon Dr Yash Mitra said it had been seen that not all food businesses had shown interest in getting these registered or obtaining licences as per the law.
“Those who have still not followed the orders have been asked to do so at the earliest. If the businesses failed to respond now, strict action would be initiated.”
District Health Officer Dr Shivkaran Singh Kahlon said all food businesses, including temporary stalls and karyana stores selling food ingredients, were required to register themselves.
“The food businesses with an annual turnover of up to Rs 12 lakh are required to register, while those establishments with annual turnover exceeding Rs 12 lakh are required to obtain a licence,” said Kahlon.
The guidelines are also binding on those distributing foods at religious or social gatherings. Even those engaged in the activities related to manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, transportation, distribution, import, catering are required to get registered or obtain licences as per the procedure.
Kahlon said, “The waiters and cooks working at all these eateries would also be asked to submit their medical examination reports. This is in view of several diseases that might be transmitted to the people eating at these places.”

Indians want their fix of gutkha & pan masala despite ban

It’s not without reason that India tops the list of smokeless tobacco users in the world with nearly 83 per cent consumers. Indians are so addicted to flavoured tobacco — pan masala and gutkha to be precise — that despite the ban on its manufacture and sale in 11 states so far, consumers are still getting hold of their daily fix, courtesy contraband sales.

The ban in Delhi and 10 other states including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Mizoram, Kerala and Bihar, among others, has resulted in black marketing of the product. This has impacted price, which has gone up significantly.

Consider this: A sachet of branded pan masala such as Rajnigandha (from Delhi-based DS Group) and Manikchand (from Pune-based Dhariwal Group) has almost doubled to Rs 15 from Rs 8 in the last two months. Local brands that cost Rs 2 are now available for Rs 5, while gutkha is available for Rs 3 from Rs 2 earlier.

Local retailers in cities such as Mumbai and Delhi, where there is strict enforcement of the ban, say that prices will continue to climb. "I don't see prices coming down any time soon if there continues to be strict enforcement," says a pan shop owner in central Mumbai. For instance, gutkha prices are likely to climb to Rs 5 from Rs 3 now, some shop owners in Delhi and Mumbai say.

While retailers do not display the product for fear of being caught by the authorities, consumers in search of their fix rarely go home disappointed. A shop owner in Delhi, for instance, says that he continues to sell around 2000-2,500 packs of gutkha per day. "More than half my customers are regular. So even if there's a ban, I am not worried," he says.

But not everybody seems happy with the order pronounced by the 11 states so far. Players such as the Dhariwal Group have moved court challenging the ban on flavoured tobacco in Maharashtra. Company officials while choosing not to come on record say that pan masala and gutkha cannot be considered as food products. That way, they argue, these products will not be governed by the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Maharashtra had issued the ban on gutkha and pan masala this July under the Food Safety & Standards Act of 2006 on the grounds that these products when consumed were injurious to health. The notification issued by the state had said that paan masala contained chemicals such as magnesium carbonate, while gutkha contained chemicals such as zinc among others. These chemicals are said to be cancer-causing.

But the fact remains that the gutkha and pan masala industry in India is huge pegged at anywhere between Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 crore. There is also a tax impact as a result of the ban.

At the time of pronouncing the ban, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar had said that the state would lose Rs 100 crore in tax from gutkha and pan masala. Interestingly, Maharashtra tops tobacco consumption in India with 43 per cent adult men and 19 per cent women addicted to it, according to the Global Tobacco survey. The survey also pointed out that around 3.82 crore people consume gutkha in India.

Beetelnut growers suffer due to ban

While players lobby hard for the ban on gutkha and paan masala to be reversed, a key argument that they present is the impact on betelnut or aracanut growers. Arecanut is produced in two varieties — red and white. The red variety is the most preferred in the manufacture of gutkha, while the white variety is used for consumption of pan.

Thanks to the ban on gutkha, the consumption of the red variety of aracanut has taken a hit. Prices are down by about three per cent to Rs 134 in major markets such as Karnataka and Kerala.

According to A S Bhat, former MD of the Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Cooperative Ltd (Campco), the arecanut trade contributes about Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 5,000 crore annually to state and Central exchequers by way of VAT, Central Excise and Customs duty.

Chronicle of a ban retold - THE HINDU

Madhya Pradesh stands out as the best model of implementing gutka ban. This is the result of administrative will coupled with political and public action

The implementation of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notification 2011 that effectively prohibits the production, sale, and consumption of gutka products containing tobacco and nicotine is one of the landmark public health interventions in Madhya Pradesh in recent years. In a country where 90% oral cancers are directly related to use of smokeless tobacco, the State-level intervention that Madhya Pradesh has initiated is of high importance for two apparent reasons. First, this has undone the previous history (also the myth, of an impractical ban!) of 2001 that failed to sustain the ban due to various pressures including that of judiciary and industrial lobbies. Secondly, the current move has provided momentum to the action against gutka and pan masala all over the country. , After Madhya Pradesh imposed gutka ban, Kerala, Bihar, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and Haryana followed suit.

The health challenges of the gutka products have long been a concern for public health activists and people. In India, the consumption of gutka is widespread and this outnumbers any other form of tobacco use. As per the Global Adult Tobacco Survey India 2010, 75% of the current 275 million tobacco users consume gutka. Because of easy availability, low prices and the attractive marketing, gutka products have gained popularity among schoolgoing children and adolescents over the years. As per the Global Youth Tobacco Survey India Report, 2006 the use of gutka is 10% among the boys and 5.5% among girls of schoolgoing age. The National Institute of Health & Family Welfare in its fact-finding report mentions of 3,028 chemical ingredients in gutka products. Of these, 28 chemical ingredients are proven carcinogens! As per the study of Indian Council of Medical Research, 70,261 people were detected with cancer of the mouth, tongue and hypo pharynx in 2010 because of “smokeless tobacco products.” The numbers of those affected have been steadily rising from 2008.

Madhya Pradesh stands out as the best model of implementing gutka ban and this is importantly, the result of administrative will coupled with political and public action. The need for enforcement primarily originated from the high levels of gutka consumption in the State. The State developed an initial plan of action under the leadership of the then Food Commissioner, and implemented the plan rigorously by ensuring the support of district administrations, the general public and the media. As of July 2012, approximately 50 raids were conducted and four million pouches confiscated.

The implementation has evidently succeeded to curtail both the supply and the demand for gutka in the State. The enforcement of ban is widely discussed and appreciated en masse. Now, rampant use is reduced. Access is considerably reduced for casual users, children and women. Retailers had a loss of 50% turnover in the last four months after the ban and most importantly all the 16 registered factories were sealed to close. Certainly, blackmarketing exists through cross-border smuggling but the wide reach of the supply chain is shattered by the ban and subsequent administrative actions.

However, one of the major drawbacks is the lack of adequate cessation facilities in the State. In the absence of such facilities, gutka users may switch to other products that are cheap but equally harmful.

However, what is important now is to sustain the fight through continuous monitoring of implementation systems with coordinated inter-State/district activities. Further to this, the experience of Madhya Pradesh and other States should inform the National Tobacco Control Programme of India in order to extend the best practices across the country. This would surely provide a great leap forward to the tobacco control initiatives.

Go Guthka, Go

Use of smokeless tobacco in the form of guthka, pan masala etc has of late picked up in Jammu and Kashmir. Along with cigarettes, tobacco in other form is easily accessible to all age groups including young adolescents. The new trend of using chewing tobacco is becoming a major problem. As per A M Mir, Executive Director, J&K Voluntary Health and Developmental Association, an NGO involved in the advocacy for implementation of tobacco control legislation in Jammu & Kashmir, “There is an alarming rise in the human loss due to abundant use of tobacco, both smoke and smokeless forms. However, the trend of using the smokeless form of tobacco (Guthka, Khaini etc) is gaining ground and so is the usage of overall tobacco products”. This fact can be easily substantiated by the figures provided by the department of commercial taxes government of Jammu and Kashmir to a social activist Saleem Malik. According to a department reply to an RTI filed by Malik, the tax collected for 2009-10 was 6305.57 lakh, 8584.47 lakh for 2010-2011 and 17418.65 lakh for 2011-2012.  This is without the tax amount of Rs 20 crore lost by the state due to smuggled cigarettes. The brand wise import of tobacco products and taxes collected is not maintained by the sales tax.
Smokeless form of tobacco especially Guthka is new to Jammu & Kashmir, it is mostly consumed by the migratory labor population coming from other states like UP, Bihar, Jharkhand etc. The product is very cheap and is easily available even in the most remote villages of the state. Over, the last two decades as the substance abuse has became wide spread in state and even the boot polish is being consumed by the addicts, who cannot afford drugs at times. The products like Guthka have come as easy respite, as per Dr Abdul Majid, incharge community medicine SKIMS, Soura; during surveys they found the huge list of substances other than tobacco products used by youth after getting used to drugs like guthka which comes handy as it can be afforded by even a school going kid with their little pocket money. The guthka pack costs just a rupee or two less than an ordinary biscuit or chips packet that costs not less than Rs 5. On the basis of research and interaction with addicts, many social activists like Mir explain, Gutkha is the gateway to the world of drug addiction and substance abuse. Besides being cheap and easily available, Guthka and tobacco containing pan masalas have attractive smell and package, easily enticing men, women and children.
This smokeless form of tobacco contains deadly chemicals which are major causes of mouth as well as throat cancer. Guthka also qualifies as a food product as it is taken from the mouth unlike other tobacco products which are inhaled. However, this product contains nicotine and as per new regulations notified by The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body under the health ministry to handle food related issues, notified as Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. It states under rule 2.3.4 that “product not to contain any substance which may be injurious to health: Tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products”.
Considering the health hazards of these smokeless chewable tobacco products, 12 states in India which now includes Delhi, resorting to the provisions of FSSAI, have banned the Guthka.
These states have banned the manufacture, storage, sale, transportation and display or distribution of Guthka and pan masalas containing tobacco or nicotine whatever name they may be called by.  Most of the states which banned these products were also manufactures of these products and a huge population was associated from cultivation and other processes as a source of livelihood for them. The proactive advocacy by NGOs like Voluntary Health Association of India and political will shown by the respective state governments to save millions of lives has been a commendable step to ban such products, thus helping also most vulnerable sections of society that forms the biggest chunk of consumers for this product.
Similarly, besides young population, poor and vulnerable communities are also getting attracted to type of leisure and results have started pouring into our hospitals and overall there is also high number of cancer patients due to use of various tobacco products. The example of other states is evidence enough to go for the banning the Guthka and allied products in the state. As, right now Jammu & Kashmir state is not the producer of such tobacco products and neither its larger population is the consumer of these products.  Delaying the ban at earliest will create more issues and problems to the state latter on. The ban by 12 states and 1 Union Territory will impact almost 38 million Gutkha users across India. It is high time that government of Jammu & Kashmir must adopt FSSAI regulations and ban Gutkha and similar food products containing tobacco/ nicotine as ingredients to save the younger generation from falling to tobacco menace.    

Fresh move to check food adulteration

The Bangladesh Standards and Testing Institution (BSTI) has recommended imposition of restriction and close monitoring on import, sale and distribution of formalin and other toxic chemicals largely used for adulteration of food and many other items. The BSTI proposal was put forward at an inter-ministerial meeting on intensifying drive against adulteration of foods on September 10 last at the conference room of the ministry of industries. Minister for Industries Dilip Barua was in the chair.

The inter-ministerial meeting was convened upon the directive of a standing committee of Jatiya Sangshad (JS). Officials from different government agencies who are engaged in drive against adulteration of food were present at the meeting. Director General (DG) of BSTI informed the meeting, according to press reports, that if adulteration of food continues at the present rate, one third of the country's total population would be exposed to serious health hazards in no time. Meeting sources said that the DG of BSTI stated that the punishment often meted out to food adulterators is nominal.

Participants at the meeting expressed grave concern over excessive use of toxic chemicals like formalin, calcium carbide, sodium cyclamate, ethophen and hydrose in a variety of food items including fruits, fish, farm chickens, medicines and other essentials. The meeting emphasised the need for strengthening government's food safety council to prevent spread of adulteration. The BSTI, according to reports, is assigned to maintain standard of 156 items. A large number of other items remain out of BSTI control much to the detriment of public health.

From our experience we can say without hesitation that National Food Safety Advisory Council and Directorate of Food have so far failed to ensure food safety for the people. The latest BSTI proposal on sale and monitoring of formalin, if implemented, will serve a limited purpose as many other toxins including artificial colour are applied to a large number of food items harmful to human health.

The measures so far taken by the government against adulteration of food items have yielded no result. The menace has penetrated so deep into the entire food chain that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to eradicate it, only through this type of step. Almost every food item - fruits, vegetables, milk, fish, egg and spices, etc., are being adulterated by a section of unscrupulous people.

As we reported earlier in this column, if the authorities go for checking adulteration of prepared food in which harmful chemicals or dyes have been mixed leaving the main source of contamination untouched, the result of whole exercise will not be encouraging. For example, a variety of vegetables at growers' level get contaminated in the field. In rural areas, a section of farmers use poisonous pesticides and harmful chemical fertilizers in their crop fields. In many places the integrated waste management programme run by the Directorate of Agricultural Extension (DAE) for the last few years has failed to make any remarkable progress. The poisonous pesticides and chemical fertilizers find their way into the country from across the border in larger quantities. These are sold at cheaper rates which attract the growers to use those toxic substances in the fields. Experts say ignorance and easy availability of harmful pesticides and fertilizers encourage farmers to apply those in the crops.

Consumption of these crops will, in turn, have adverse effect on human health. The application of poisonous pesticides and harmful fertilizers is going on unabated for long. As the authorities concerned have failed to maintain regular supply of these major agricultural inputs, the farmers in their desperation, apply harmful substances to nourish and protect their crops. Therefore, if the government wants to weed out the menace, it should begin its work right from the crop field and not concentrate alone on prepared food.

In the backdrop of alarming trend in adulteration of food, some ruling Awami League lawmakers in parliament demanded of the government on September 11 last to take stern measures against adulterators. Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, MP, quoting statistics said that one fourth of the population in Bangladesh is likely to suffer from various types of cancer by 2025 for consuming adulterated foods. Another AL MP asked the government to amend the existing law providing death penalty or life imprisonment for the criminals engaged in adulteration of food. In reply, education minister Nurul Islam Nahid, on behalf of information minister Abul Kalam Azad told the House, if necessary, the government will amend the existing law with the provision for stringent measures against these criminals.

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

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

• 
  
  

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.