Jun 20, 2013
Strict quality check to ensure export tag for Indian tea
KOLKATA: Foreign buyers can now rest assured about the quality of Indian tea. Tea Board of India
has put in place a system of random testing of teas meant for exports
to ensure that only the varieties that comply with the standards set by
Food Safety & Standard Authority of India enter global markets.
The measure comes at a time when Indian tea is facing competition in the world market from Kenyan tea.
Talking to ET, MGVK Bhanu, chairman, Tea Board of India, said: "Tea Board has taken firm steps to protect and enhance the image of Indian tea globally, and to ensure that the tea worthy of the tagline 'Indian tea' is exported. This comes on the backdrop of various quality issues that have cropped up in recent years."
In 2012-13, India exported 220.46 million kg of tea at a total consideration of Rs 3,962.92 crore. The country imported 17.88 million kg of tea in FY13.
Tea Board of India has established two councils -- one for north India and the other for the south that will monitor the online tracking system of all exports and imports and ensure that quality norms are enforced. The mechanism has been developed by by NSE.IT, which has also developed the e-auction platform for tea.
Industry officials said foreign buyers sometimes raise concerns about quality. Generally, Tea Board receives complaints from countries like Libya and Iran. Tea Board chairman said that Indian exporters need to be more focussed on quality because foreign buyers are increasingly pushing hard on this issue.
According to the scheme, a permanent exporter or importer will have to log on to a web address designed by NSE.IT two days ahead of the shipment date. In the case of a temporary exporter or importer, the person will have to log in 10 days ahead of the shipment. The system will randomly select the application and an inspection agency will inspect the samples. The inspection agency, which in this case is the Tea Research Association, will take a call on the quality.
"If the tea does not conform to the food safety standards, the exporter or importer will be tagged as 'exporters/importers under warning'. And that sort of a tag is not desirable," said an official of Calcutta Tea Traders Association.
Anshuman Kanoria, chairman, Indian Merchant Tea Exporters, said the new mechanism will help bolster the image of Indian tea in the world market. "However, this year exporters will face difficulty as the Kenyan production is almost up by 50 million kg and the African country is offering tea to the world market at a cheaper price," he said.
The measure comes at a time when Indian tea is facing competition in the world market from Kenyan tea.
Talking to ET, MGVK Bhanu, chairman, Tea Board of India, said: "Tea Board has taken firm steps to protect and enhance the image of Indian tea globally, and to ensure that the tea worthy of the tagline 'Indian tea' is exported. This comes on the backdrop of various quality issues that have cropped up in recent years."
In 2012-13, India exported 220.46 million kg of tea at a total consideration of Rs 3,962.92 crore. The country imported 17.88 million kg of tea in FY13.
Tea Board of India has established two councils -- one for north India and the other for the south that will monitor the online tracking system of all exports and imports and ensure that quality norms are enforced. The mechanism has been developed by by NSE.IT, which has also developed the e-auction platform for tea.
Industry officials said foreign buyers sometimes raise concerns about quality. Generally, Tea Board receives complaints from countries like Libya and Iran. Tea Board chairman said that Indian exporters need to be more focussed on quality because foreign buyers are increasingly pushing hard on this issue.
According to the scheme, a permanent exporter or importer will have to log on to a web address designed by NSE.IT two days ahead of the shipment date. In the case of a temporary exporter or importer, the person will have to log in 10 days ahead of the shipment. The system will randomly select the application and an inspection agency will inspect the samples. The inspection agency, which in this case is the Tea Research Association, will take a call on the quality.
"If the tea does not conform to the food safety standards, the exporter or importer will be tagged as 'exporters/importers under warning'. And that sort of a tag is not desirable," said an official of Calcutta Tea Traders Association.
Anshuman Kanoria, chairman, Indian Merchant Tea Exporters, said the new mechanism will help bolster the image of Indian tea in the world market. "However, this year exporters will face difficulty as the Kenyan production is almost up by 50 million kg and the African country is offering tea to the world market at a cheaper price," he said.
Food department destroys eatables in unhygienic condition
RAIPUR: The food and drug administration department collected samples of Amul ghee and gathia from a sweet shop and destroyed over 25kg of mixtures and savouries including samosas that were kept in unhygienic conditions.
A team led by food safety officer Dr Ashwani Dewangan conducted checks on various sweet shops including Khodiyar sweets, Fafadih, Santa sweets, Bilaspur road and Amul outlet, Gokul Super bazar, Pandari.
According to officials, the team collected four packs of 200ml each (Amul ghee) and destroyed some food articles that were exposed to dust and flies. The action was initiated under the Epidemic Diseases Act.
The team directed the shop owners to maintain hygiene and cleanliness in accordance with the norms of the Food Act.
A team led by food safety officer Dr Ashwani Dewangan conducted checks on various sweet shops including Khodiyar sweets, Fafadih, Santa sweets, Bilaspur road and Amul outlet, Gokul Super bazar, Pandari.
According to officials, the team collected four packs of 200ml each (Amul ghee) and destroyed some food articles that were exposed to dust and flies. The action was initiated under the Epidemic Diseases Act.
The team directed the shop owners to maintain hygiene and cleanliness in accordance with the norms of the Food Act.
Dirty hostel mess, bad food blamed
As many as 127 students of Kerala University, two wardens and two
cooks were taken to hospital following food poisoning late on Tuesday
night, shortly after they had dinner at the mess of the Ladies’ Hostel
on Kariavattom campus.
According to students, after having food at
the mess, many started complaining of stomach ache, nausea and
giddiness. They were rushed to the hospital in as many as 30 ambulances
by the police, university staff and students. However, after primary
medication, all the students are now in a stable condition, except
seven, police officials said.
Some students were admitted to the
hospital around 10 pm, while others were rushed in later. Most of them
have recovered. The affected students, from the University Hostel,
blamed improperly cooked food for the problem. The students said that
they had complained to the in-charge of the mess about the poor quality
of food while having dinner itself, around 7.30 pm. Within minutes, many
developed stomach problems and started vomiting.
Usage of
contaminated water for preparation of food or the entry of some foreign
bodies is suspected to have caused the food poisoning.
The hostel
was shifted to a new building only two weeks ago. According to the
students, the mess was not being run in hygienic conditions.
Sreekariyam
sub-inspector of police V Rajesh Kumar said Food Safety Authority
officials have collected the samples of food and water. “As the students
reported abdominal pain, the reason might be the entry of some foreign
body,” he said.
Meanwhile, the District Medical Officer (DMO),
along with other medical officers and food inspectors, inspected the
Ladies’ Hostel mess and collected samples of rice, curries, tamarind,
cooking oil, cud and drinking water and sent them for analysis to the
Food Laboratory. They also said that the unhygienic condition of the
kitchen and the low quality of the items used for cooking were the
reasons for the food poisoning.
The police officials said a
notice will be sent to the Kerala University regarding the issue and
that a detailed inquiry would be conducted into the issue.
The hostel kitchen, meanwhile, has been sealed by officials
JMC organises hygiene awareness camp
Jammu, June 19: To generate awareness about new Food
Safety and Standards Act 2006 and to improve the standards of hygiene,
quality of food, ahead of Amar Nath pilgrimage, Jammu Municipal
Corporation (JMC) Wednesday organized camps here at various places.
The camp was organised at Shiv Market, Railway Station Jammu for Food
Business operators like Dhaba- Walas, restaurants, shopkeepers, juice
shops, meat shops, Rehri and Phari walas dealing with sale of food
items.
Under the leadership of Dr. Vinod Sharma and Food Safety Officer of the concerned area shopkeepers were made aware about the hygienic conditions they have to maintain in their premises.
The eating point owners or rehri walas were directed to get their licenses or registrations from the office of the Health Officer JMC Jammu.
The cook of the eatable points or rehri walas must wear mask, apron, cap, gloves etc. They have to use only portable filter water to the customers.
The JMC officials also impressed the use of two types of covered dustbins i.e. green and blue colour to separate bio-degradable and non bio-degradable garbage.
After the awareness camp the team also visited the market and checked the eating points.
The Food Business operators assured the authorities that the irregularities will be removed within a short span of time.
Under the leadership of Dr. Vinod Sharma and Food Safety Officer of the concerned area shopkeepers were made aware about the hygienic conditions they have to maintain in their premises.
The eating point owners or rehri walas were directed to get their licenses or registrations from the office of the Health Officer JMC Jammu.
The cook of the eatable points or rehri walas must wear mask, apron, cap, gloves etc. They have to use only portable filter water to the customers.
The JMC officials also impressed the use of two types of covered dustbins i.e. green and blue colour to separate bio-degradable and non bio-degradable garbage.
After the awareness camp the team also visited the market and checked the eating points.
The Food Business operators assured the authorities that the irregularities will be removed within a short span of time.
Eating out: insist on hot food, boiled water
Hoteliers told to follow food safety hygiene standards
The Food Safety officials have issued a public health warning that those eating from restaurants, wayside eateries and canteens should insist on consuming only hot food and boiled drinking water as there could be an increase in water-borne diseases during the monsoon season.
Mandatory standards
All hoteliers and food business operators should ensure that the 30-point mandatory hygiene standards drawn up by the Food Safety wing earlier are being followed without fail. Suspension of licence, issue of closure notice and other criminal prosecution measures will be adopted by the Food Safety wing if food outlets are found to be functioning in violation of the hygiene standards or other specific directives of the Food Safety Officers.
Any complaints of the public regarding the poor hygiene standards of eateries, hostels, canteens or food stalls may be conveyed to the designated Food Safety Officers in districts or the toll-free number of the Office of the Commissioner of Food Safety.
Dial to complain
The phone numbers of District Food Safety Officers are: Thiruvananthapuram (89433 46181); Kollam (89433 46182); Pathanamthitta (89433 46183); Alappuzha (89433 46184); Kottayam (89433 46185); Idukki (89433 46186); Ernakulam (89433 46187); Thrissur (89433 46188); Palakkad (89433 46189); Malappuram (89433 46190); Kozhikode (89433 46191); Wayanad (89433 46192); Kannur (89433 46193), and Kasaragod (89433 46194).The phone numbers of mobile vigilance squads are: Thiruvananthapuram (89433 46195); Ernakulam (89433 46196); Kozhikode (89433 46197).
The Food Safety officials have issued a public health warning that those eating from restaurants, wayside eateries and canteens should insist on consuming only hot food and boiled drinking water as there could be an increase in water-borne diseases during the monsoon season.
Mandatory standards
All hoteliers and food business operators should ensure that the 30-point mandatory hygiene standards drawn up by the Food Safety wing earlier are being followed without fail. Suspension of licence, issue of closure notice and other criminal prosecution measures will be adopted by the Food Safety wing if food outlets are found to be functioning in violation of the hygiene standards or other specific directives of the Food Safety Officers.
Any complaints of the public regarding the poor hygiene standards of eateries, hostels, canteens or food stalls may be conveyed to the designated Food Safety Officers in districts or the toll-free number of the Office of the Commissioner of Food Safety.
Dial to complain
The phone numbers of District Food Safety Officers are: Thiruvananthapuram (89433 46181); Kollam (89433 46182); Pathanamthitta (89433 46183); Alappuzha (89433 46184); Kottayam (89433 46185); Idukki (89433 46186); Ernakulam (89433 46187); Thrissur (89433 46188); Palakkad (89433 46189); Malappuram (89433 46190); Kozhikode (89433 46191); Wayanad (89433 46192); Kannur (89433 46193), and Kasaragod (89433 46194).The phone numbers of mobile vigilance squads are: Thiruvananthapuram (89433 46195); Ernakulam (89433 46196); Kozhikode (89433 46197).
Coimbatore Corporation to initiate action against eateries encroaching on parking space
Councillors are of the opinion that eateries near Nehru Stadium and
V.O.C. Park should not be allowed to occupy parking space.
The need to regulate roadside eateries in the city came
up for discussion at the Coimbatore Corporation Council meeting on
Tuesday. The issue was not about the quality of food served at the
eateries. But the way they encroached upon the parking space.
The
opening salvo was by the North Zone Chairman P. Rajkumar, who said that
there was near zero parking space around the Nehru Stadium and near
V.O.C. Park because the owners of the eateries spread out stools on
roads, eating away parking space.
With the police
regulating the parking of vehicles on Nanjappa Road, the city’s
residents were left with little choice but to drive to the area around
the Stadium to park.
Most of the vendors had 10 to
15 stools each and when spread over they occupied space that could
otherwise accommodate two or three cars.
The quality
of food they served needed to be verified if it was good, he said and
also sought attention on the leftovers the eatery owners dump there.
When they shut shop, they dumped food waste in the vicinity. The food so
dumped attracted stray dogs.
The area around the
Stadium and Park had seen an increase in the dog population and that
threatened the elderly to went there for walking and sports persons who
used the stadium around dawn.
Mr. Rajkumar wanted the
Corporation to regulate the shops in such a way that they did not
occupy parking space. A few other Councillors also joined him.
In
doing so the Corporation should keep in mind that those who run the
eateries were people from the lower strata of society and that their
livelihood should not be disturbed, said S. Balan (Ward 62). Whether or
not the eateries served quality food was a different issue. But they
encroached upon the parking space and they needed to be regulated, said
J. Sasirekha (Ward 72).
The issue regarding the
roadside eateries comes after the Corporation initiated a few moves to
regulate their activities. One was earmarking locations for them. The
Corporation with help from the IC Centre for Governance began talking to
the eatery owners by conducting a series of meetings to understand
their concerns. But those proved to be half-hearted measures.
Even
as the Corporation began talking to them, the authorities from the Food
Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) also engaged them to
improve the quality of food.
Sources in FSSAI said
that the department officers had educated a number of roadside eatery
owners on safety practices to be adopted, how to ensure quality in food
and what to avoid. The department had given certificates and licences to
a few.
But with the Union Government extending to
February 2014 the deadline for making registration and license
mandatory, the officer were engaged in conducting awareness programmes.
A.L.
Raja, a CITU leader associated with the food vendors’ association, said
that the allegation against the vendors that they encroached upon
parking space was true to an extent because in their bid to attract more
customers, each vendor place more stools than his competitor.
In the process, the entire stretch was occupied by stools.
The
vendors association, affiliated to the CITU, had taken a few
initiatives in the past for self regulation. It would again do so.
IICT to host three-day demonstration on protocol for new CBE detection
The Indian Institute for Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, will
host a demonstration on the newly-developed protocol for the detection
and quantification of cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) in chocolate
formulation from vegetable sources by IICT and PI.
The demonstration, commencing June 24, 2013, will conclude on June 26, 2013. It will be attended by representatives from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and industry.
Atanu Purkayastha, joint secretary, ministry of agriculture, said, “Indigenous natural vegetable fat sources, such as sal, kokum, mango kernel, cheura, mahua and dhupa, can be used as cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) in chocolate formulation at a maximum concentration of five per cent.”
“However, provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1954 (which preceded the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006) prohibit the use of any vegetable fat other than cocoa butter (CB). European Parliament has permitted the use of five per cent vegetable fats other than CB in chocolate,” he said.
Purkayastha said no protocol was available for the detection and quantification of CBEs in chocolate formulation, hence the Mumbai-based SEA approached the NOVOD Board and FSSAI for the development of such protocol and the amendment of the PFA Act.
“K Chandramouli, chief executive officer, FSSAI, had suggested that a protocol be developed for the detection and quantification of cocoa butter equivalents in chocolate formulation from vegetable sources and its demonstrated to all the directors of central food laboratories for routine analysis by their public analysts,” he said. The task for developing the project was assigned to IICT, Hyderabad.
“Now, R B N Prasad, chief scientist and head, IICT and PI, has informed that they have developed a protocol for detection and quantification of CBEs in chocolate formulation, and would conduct a three-day demonstration of the protocol in their institute,” Purkayastha said, adding that representatives from fast-moving consumer good (FMCG) players like Britannia, ITC, Parle, Cadbury, etc. are likely to attend the demonstration.
The demonstration, commencing June 24, 2013, will conclude on June 26, 2013. It will be attended by representatives from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA), the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and industry.
Atanu Purkayastha, joint secretary, ministry of agriculture, said, “Indigenous natural vegetable fat sources, such as sal, kokum, mango kernel, cheura, mahua and dhupa, can be used as cocoa butter equivalents (CBEs) in chocolate formulation at a maximum concentration of five per cent.”
“However, provisions of the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1954 (which preceded the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006) prohibit the use of any vegetable fat other than cocoa butter (CB). European Parliament has permitted the use of five per cent vegetable fats other than CB in chocolate,” he said.
Purkayastha said no protocol was available for the detection and quantification of CBEs in chocolate formulation, hence the Mumbai-based SEA approached the NOVOD Board and FSSAI for the development of such protocol and the amendment of the PFA Act.
“K Chandramouli, chief executive officer, FSSAI, had suggested that a protocol be developed for the detection and quantification of cocoa butter equivalents in chocolate formulation from vegetable sources and its demonstrated to all the directors of central food laboratories for routine analysis by their public analysts,” he said. The task for developing the project was assigned to IICT, Hyderabad.
“Now, R B N Prasad, chief scientist and head, IICT and PI, has informed that they have developed a protocol for detection and quantification of CBEs in chocolate formulation, and would conduct a three-day demonstration of the protocol in their institute,” Purkayastha said, adding that representatives from fast-moving consumer good (FMCG) players like Britannia, ITC, Parle, Cadbury, etc. are likely to attend the demonstration.
Licence of Indian Coffee House outlet in Thiruvananthapuram, suspended
Action came on the heels of a complaint lodged by the parents of a seven-year-old girl, who had a glass of rose milk from the popular outlet and started vomiting soon after.
Food Safety officials suspended the licence of the
Indian Coffee House outlet at Spencer Junction here on Tuesday, asking
the outlet to down shutters from Wednesday till further notice,
following a complaint that stale beverages were being sold there.
According
to District Food Safety Officer D. Sivakumar, the action came on the
heels of a complaint lodged by the parents of a seven-year-old girl, who
had a glass of rose milk from the popular outlet and started vomiting
soon after. She had to be taken to a hospital.
An
inspection of the outlet revealed that beverages, including rose milk,
cold coffee, and juices, were made and preserved in unhygienic
conditions, with the kitchen stated to be in an ‘appalling’ condition.
Officials have sent a sample of the rose milk for laboratory analysis,
and have served a notice on the outlet for temporary suspension of the
licence under Section 36 (3A) of the Food Safety and Standards Act,
asking the outlet to shut down from Wednesday and to make necessary
rectifications. Further operations would be allowed only after another
round of inspections.
The officials said the outlet
was allowed to remain open on Tuesday after the inspections in order to
avoid cooked food from being wasted. They said the issue appeared to be
only with the beverages and the manner in which they were made and
stored. However, the standard of hygiene in the kitchen was ‘pathetic,’
with the deep freezer in which the beverages were stored being rusted
and corroded, the dish-washing corner being dirty, with flies all over.
There were no fly-traps, nor was the floor clean.
This
is the second outlet of the Indian Coffee House in the city to face
such action after the outlet at Thampanoor was closed for nearly two
months last year. The situation in that outlet at that time too was
‘appalling,’ according to officials, who pointed out that the proximity
of the kitchen to a drainage outside had given ‘unrestricted access’ to
rats, flies, and even crows to the kitchen and the food there. The
outlet’s licence was cancelled and was allowed to function after it took
about 45 days to rectify the shortcomings.
Cyanide traces in bottled drinking water
Sangrur, June 19
Cyanide was detected in a sample of bottled drinking water collected from a manufacturer in Sangrur district.
In light of this, Commissioner, Food Safety, Punjab, has directed designated officer (Food Safety) of Sangrur district to initiate proceeding against the manufacturer in court. The sample of Naina Packaged Drinking Water has been declared unsafe and misbranded under Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA)-2006 by Referral Food Laboratory, Government of India, Ghaziabad. The sample was collected by the Health Department in December 2012 from the premises of Shri Sai Mineral Corporation, Sunam.
The report states there is cyanide in the sample and iron is above the maximum prescribed limits. When contacted, Dr Surinder Singla, District Health Officer (DHO)-cum-Designated Officer (Food Safety), Sangrur, said they would take action against the manufacturer as soon as they received sanction from Commissioner, Food Safety, Punjab.
Cyanide was detected in a sample of bottled drinking water collected from a manufacturer in Sangrur district.
In light of this, Commissioner, Food Safety, Punjab, has directed designated officer (Food Safety) of Sangrur district to initiate proceeding against the manufacturer in court. The sample of Naina Packaged Drinking Water has been declared unsafe and misbranded under Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA)-2006 by Referral Food Laboratory, Government of India, Ghaziabad. The sample was collected by the Health Department in December 2012 from the premises of Shri Sai Mineral Corporation, Sunam.
The report states there is cyanide in the sample and iron is above the maximum prescribed limits. When contacted, Dr Surinder Singla, District Health Officer (DHO)-cum-Designated Officer (Food Safety), Sangrur, said they would take action against the manufacturer as soon as they received sanction from Commissioner, Food Safety, Punjab.
Over 8,000 held in China for food adulteration
Beijing, Jun 19 (PTI) More than 8,200 suspects have been held in China
since a campaign to crack down on food safety crime was launched in
January this year amid public uproar over recurring cases of food
adulteration.
Police uncovered more than 4,500 cases involving food safety offences and held more than 8,200 suspects on food safety crime since January.
They closed about 6,300 workshops and markets that produced or sold illegal food products, Ministry of Public security said in a statement.
Police confiscated more than 1.50 lakh illegal products, including fake cooking oil, meat, spices and seasonings, health care products, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and illegal additives, the ministry said in a report.
The Ministry said fight against food safety crime remains onerous, as offences in some areas are prone to reoccur.
A series of scandals over baby food adulteration and marketing gutter oil to restaurants have eroded public confidence with majority of Chinese preferring to buy foreign food products for their children.
In 2008, at least six children died and 300,000 others fell ill after consuming milk powder contaminated with melamine.
Recent scandals involving adulterated mutton, lime-preserved eggs processed with copper sulphate and ginger grown with highly toxic pesticide have aggravated public concerns over food safety.
Police uncovered more than 4,500 cases involving food safety offences and held more than 8,200 suspects on food safety crime since January.
They closed about 6,300 workshops and markets that produced or sold illegal food products, Ministry of Public security said in a statement.
Police confiscated more than 1.50 lakh illegal products, including fake cooking oil, meat, spices and seasonings, health care products, alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and illegal additives, the ministry said in a report.
The Ministry said fight against food safety crime remains onerous, as offences in some areas are prone to reoccur.
A series of scandals over baby food adulteration and marketing gutter oil to restaurants have eroded public confidence with majority of Chinese preferring to buy foreign food products for their children.
In 2008, at least six children died and 300,000 others fell ill after consuming milk powder contaminated with melamine.
Recent scandals involving adulterated mutton, lime-preserved eggs processed with copper sulphate and ginger grown with highly toxic pesticide have aggravated public concerns over food safety.
குடிநீர் நிறுவனங்களுக்கு முறையான அனுமதி? தமிழகம் முழுவதும் கணக்கெடுப்பு துவக்கம்
தமிழகம் முழுவதும், குடிநீர் தயாரிப்பு நிறுவனங்கள், முறையான அனுமதி
பெற்றுள்ளதா என்பதை கணக்கெடுக்கும் பணியை, மாசு கட்டுப்பாட்டு வாரியம்
துவங்கியுள்ளது.
சென்னையில், குடிநீர் தயாரிப்பு
நிறுவனங்களில் இருந்து, விற்பனைக்கு அனுப்பப்படும் குடிநீர்,
பாதுகாப்பற்றது என, தெரிய வந்ததால், தென்மண்டல தேசிய பசுமைத் தீர்ப்பாயம்,
தாமாக முன் வந்து, வழக்கு பதிந்து விசாரித்து வருகிறது. சென்னை,
காஞ்சிபுரம், திருவள்ளூர் மாவட்டங்களில், அனுமதியின்றி செயல்பட்ட, 92
குடிநீர் நிறுவனங்கள் மூடப்பட்டு உள்ளன. இதில், 85 நிறுவனங்களின் மாதிரிகள்
பரிசோதிக்கப்பட்டு, அறிக்கை பசுமைத் தீர்ப்பாயத்தில் சமர்ப்பிக்கப்பட்டு
உள்ளது. இதை ஆய்வு செய்த பசுமைத் தீர்ப்பாயம், 51 நிறுவனங்களைத்
திறக்கவும், மீதமுள்ள, 41 நிறுவனங்களில், குடிநீர் மாதிரிகளை மீண்டும்
பரிசோதிக்கவும் உத்தரவிட்டு உள்ளது. தமிழகம் முழுவதும் உள்ள, குடிநீர்
தயாரிப்பு நிறுவனங்கள், முறையான அனுமதி பெற்றுள்ளதா என, ஆய்வு செய்து
நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கவும், தீர்ப்பாயம் உத்தரவிட்டது. இதன்படி, பரிசோதனையில்
தேறிய, 51 நிறுவனங்களை மாசு கட்டுப்பாட்டு வாரியம் திறந்துவிட்டது. 41
நிறுவனங்களிலும், மாதிரிகள் எடுத்து, பரிசோதனை நடந்து வருகிறது. அடுத்த
கட்டமாக, தமிழகம் முழுவதும் உள்ள, குடிநீர் நிறுவனங்கள் குறித்த
கணக்கெடுப்பு துவங்கப்பட்டு உள்ளது.
இதுகுறித்து, மாசு
கட்டுப்பாட்டு வாரிய அதிகாரி ஒருவர் கூறியதாவது: தமிழகத்தில் செயல்பட்டு
வரும் குடிநீர் நிறுவனங்கள் குறித்தும், ஐ.எஸ்.ஐ., அனுமதி, மாசு
கட்டுப்பாட்டு வாரிய அனுமதி பெறாமல் இயங்கும் நிறுவனங்கள் குறித்தும்
கணக்கெடுப்பு நடந்து வருகிறது. மாவட்ட பொறியாளர்கள், இரண்டு நாட்களாக
ஆய்வில் ஈடுபட்டுள்ளனர். 10 நாட்களில் ஆய்வு முடியும். இதுப்பற்றிய
அறிக்கை, ஜூலை, 2ம் தேதி தீர்ப்பாயத்தில் சமர்ப்பிக்கப்படும். இவ்வாறு,
அவர் கூறினார். தமிழக குடிநீர் தயாரிப்பாளர் சங்கத்தில், 869 நிறுவனங்கள்
பதிவு செய்து உள்ளன. இதுதவிர, குடிசைத் தொழில்போல், எந்த அனுமதியுமின்றி,
ஏராளமான நிறுவனங்கள் செயல்பட்டு வருகின்றன. மொத்த குடிநீர் நிறுவனங்களின்
எண்ணிக்கை, ஆயிரத்தைத் தாண்டும் என, கூறப்படுகிறது.
Jun 19, 2013
Shopping for fish, meat set to be better
A ROYAL MESS:Shopping at fish and meat section at Gandhi Market has been an unpleasant experience
Old slaughterhouse in Gandhi Market will be razed;new shops will come up there
Consumers visiting the fish and meat sections of the
Gandhi Market in the city could look forward to better amenities soon as
the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation has decided to build new shops to
accommodate the traders.
Built as part of the Gandhi
Market, established in 1940, the shops behind the main Gandhi Market
complex are in a dilapidated condition with decrepit walls and damaged
roofs.
The fish and meat sections of the market have
about 105 shops and the complex is situated amidst unhygienic
surroundings being located right in front of the garbage dumping area.
People had long been complaining over the lack of amenities and poor
sanitary conditions at the market. Traders had been demanding
construction of new shops to replace the existing ones.
The
corporation has decided to build a new fish-cum-meat market section at
the site where the old slaughterhouse had been functioning. A modern
slaughterhouse is coming up at the adjacent site. The old slaughterhouse
building would be demolished once the new facility is ready, paving the
way for the construction of new shops for fish/meat markets. This way,
the functioning of the fish and meat shops would continue unhindered
until the new building was ready.
Corporation sources
said the new market section would have better amenities. The civic body
would soon draw up a design and project report for construction of the
new shops. The corporation, a few months ago, had decided to renovate
the Gandhi Market in phases.
TURIP
Giving
a fillip to the corporation, attempts to improve the roads and drain
network in the city, the State government has sanctioned Rs. 20 crore
under the Tamil Nadu Urban Roads Infrastructure Project in 2013-14. The
civic body had forwarded proposals worth Rs. 23.12 crore to the
government and as per a government order, the corporation had been asked
to bear the remaining Rs. 3.12 crore from its general fund.
About 105 shops located amidst filth are dilapidated
There is proposal to provide modern facilities in new shops
Food poisoning suspected
At least 50 students staying at the university hostel on
the Karyavattom campus were rushed to the Government Medical College
Hospital on Tuesday night after some of them swooned and some others
complained of nausea and vomiting, due to alleged food poisoning. The
students developed uneasiness a few minutes after they ate dinner.
Medical
college authorities said the condition of none of the students was
serious and a majority of them recovered after they took medicines.
Kazhakuttom
police said around 120 students took dinner from the hostel mess and
around 50 students complained of uneasiness. Adequate arrangements had
been made to take all the 120 students to the hospital for check-up.
Food Safety Joint Commissioner Anil Kumar K. told
The Hindu
that he had directed the District Food Safety Officer to inspect the
food items served at the hostel to find whether the sudden illness was
caused by food poisoning.
Sugandha Garway of Anacon Labs on panel drafting food safety standards
Sugandha Garway, director, Anacon Laboratories Pvt Ltd, Nagpur, has
been appointed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
(FSSAI) – the country's apex food regulator – as one of the members of
the food standards harmonisation and development panel. Her role
includes drafting food safety standards and submitting it to FSSAI by
July 31, 2013.
She has been working in the field of food standards for ten years. She said, “It is good to be selected and be a part of the national panel for food safety standards, which is awaiting the assessment and approval of the higher authorities (which are mandatory for it to be implemented as an Act). This is matter of pride for me."
Garway, who holds a doctorate in chemical engineering, has a number of years of experience in the field of food safety. She would focus on drafting food safety standards for the non-alcoholic beverage segment, which includes water-based beverages (such as milk, flavoured milk, juices, sports drinks, carbonated drinks, etc.) and powder-based drinks (such as milk powder, juice, energy powder, etc.) The points drafted would mainly concentrate on three basic aspects of safety standards – hygiene, contamination and adulteration of products. The safety draft made are for each step of the process, from farm to fork (i.e. from raw material to finished product). According to Garway, efforts have been made for the formulation of standards that would match the international standard set by CODEX.
She said, “The most important thing is the implementation of these acts, in which consumers play an important role. It is consumers who should be aware of this malpractices and should be able to detect any flaws in the product.” Giving an example, she added that the half-litre milk pouch consumed in most households offers a great deal of scope for adulteration and contamination.
Usually, the person opens the disposal pouch by diagonally cutting one of its ends. This pack is recycled and resold in the market. Thus, the consumer should also be aware of such malpractices happening. Commenting on the current safety regulations, Garway said India has standards which are not concise in form and are scattered.
There are laws, but it is not necessarily implemented, because consumers and manufacturers still give money a higher priority. So, she believes that the implementation of the revised Act, which is based on safety standards for contamination, microbial activity and adulteration, will make major change to beverage industry.
She has been working in the field of food standards for ten years. She said, “It is good to be selected and be a part of the national panel for food safety standards, which is awaiting the assessment and approval of the higher authorities (which are mandatory for it to be implemented as an Act). This is matter of pride for me."
Garway, who holds a doctorate in chemical engineering, has a number of years of experience in the field of food safety. She would focus on drafting food safety standards for the non-alcoholic beverage segment, which includes water-based beverages (such as milk, flavoured milk, juices, sports drinks, carbonated drinks, etc.) and powder-based drinks (such as milk powder, juice, energy powder, etc.) The points drafted would mainly concentrate on three basic aspects of safety standards – hygiene, contamination and adulteration of products. The safety draft made are for each step of the process, from farm to fork (i.e. from raw material to finished product). According to Garway, efforts have been made for the formulation of standards that would match the international standard set by CODEX.
She said, “The most important thing is the implementation of these acts, in which consumers play an important role. It is consumers who should be aware of this malpractices and should be able to detect any flaws in the product.” Giving an example, she added that the half-litre milk pouch consumed in most households offers a great deal of scope for adulteration and contamination.
Usually, the person opens the disposal pouch by diagonally cutting one of its ends. This pack is recycled and resold in the market. Thus, the consumer should also be aware of such malpractices happening. Commenting on the current safety regulations, Garway said India has standards which are not concise in form and are scattered.
There are laws, but it is not necessarily implemented, because consumers and manufacturers still give money a higher priority. So, she believes that the implementation of the revised Act, which is based on safety standards for contamination, microbial activity and adulteration, will make major change to beverage industry.
Jun 18, 2013
‘Speed up pepper adulteration probe’
Mumbai, June 18:
The Madhya Pradesh-based Kalimirch Vyaapari Association has urged the
Commissioner of Food Safety, Kerala to expedite its investigation into
adulteration of pepper at warehouses of the National Commodity and
Derivatives Exchange in Kerala and submit its report soon.
In a letter addressed to Biju Prabhakar, Commissioner of Food Safety,
Kerala, the Association highlighted the delay of over five months in
testing black pepper sealed at NCDEX-authorised warehouses for traces of
mineral oil. The 6,800 tonnes of pepper locked up at the warehouse is
valued at Rs 300 crore.
In December, the Food Safety Authority sealed the spic after there were
complaints of mineral oil in pepper delivered at the warehouse. The
Authority appointed the Spices Board to conduct the test on entire stock
of 6,800 tonnes, rather than taking random sample. It is reliably
learnt that the Board has already submitted a report to the authority
after testing 1,000 tonnes of pepper lying at the warehouse.
“We would like to draw your attention… in the whole issue which is grave
and has crucial impact on the financial health of the members of KVA.
The members are undergoing grave mental harassment and anxiety in view
of the delay (in investigation),” said Pradeep Acharya, Vice-President
of the association.
Through this communication, the association members request for
submission of the report (of Spice Board) which is required to be
submitted statutorily to initiate appropriate action by the KVA member,
he said.
Earlier, the Association has filed a writ petition in the Madhya Pradesh
High Court against the NCDEX, National Securities Depository, Central
Depository Service and Ministry of Consumer Affairs for defaulting on
pepper delivery for contracts which expired on January 5.
Ban on milk items imports from China may extend for 1 more yr
India had imposed ban on Chinese milk and its products in September 2008 due to presence of melamine
An inter-ministerial panel has recommended extending ban on imports of milk and its products from China for one more year as the neighbouring country has not provided any data addressing the safety concerns.
India had imposed ban on Chinese milk and its products in September 2008 due to presence of melamine, used for making plastics and fertiliser. The ban has been extended every year and will expire on June 23, this year.
"Ban on import of milk and milk products from China may be extended for a period of one year from June 23, 2013 unless there are dependable reports available about a significant improvement in the situation," said an advisory issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) after the inter-ministerial committee (IMC) meeting.
The committee, headed by FSSAI chief, met early this month to review the ban on Chinese milk products like chocolates and chocolate products, candies, confectionary, and food preparations made with milk or milk solids.
"The IMC recommended extension of ban because China has not been able to provide required data showing improvement in the situation with regard to milamine content," a senior FSSAI official said.
However, the final call on this issue will be taken by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Commerce Ministry, he added.
More than a dozen countries in Asia and Africa have banned milk and dairy product imports from China due to melamine content, the dangerous chemical that can cause kidney stones as well as failure of the organ.
India, the world's largest milk producer, does not import milk products from China, but the ban is being imposed as a preventive measure.
The country's milk production is estimated to be 133 million tonne in 2012-13.
An inter-ministerial panel has recommended extending ban on imports of milk and its products from China for one more year as the neighbouring country has not provided any data addressing the safety concerns.
India had imposed ban on Chinese milk and its products in September 2008 due to presence of melamine, used for making plastics and fertiliser. The ban has been extended every year and will expire on June 23, this year.
"Ban on import of milk and milk products from China may be extended for a period of one year from June 23, 2013 unless there are dependable reports available about a significant improvement in the situation," said an advisory issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) after the inter-ministerial committee (IMC) meeting.
The committee, headed by FSSAI chief, met early this month to review the ban on Chinese milk products like chocolates and chocolate products, candies, confectionary, and food preparations made with milk or milk solids.
"The IMC recommended extension of ban because China has not been able to provide required data showing improvement in the situation with regard to milamine content," a senior FSSAI official said.
However, the final call on this issue will be taken by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) under the Commerce Ministry, he added.
More than a dozen countries in Asia and Africa have banned milk and dairy product imports from China due to melamine content, the dangerous chemical that can cause kidney stones as well as failure of the organ.
India, the world's largest milk producer, does not import milk products from China, but the ban is being imposed as a preventive measure.
The country's milk production is estimated to be 133 million tonne in 2012-13.
Punjab govt constitutes Punjab FDA by unifying food & drug departments
In a major step towards bringing the food and drug departments under a common regulatory body on the lines of Gujarat and Maharashtra, the Punjab government recently constituted the Punjab food and drug administration (FDA) by bringing both the Punjab state drug controlling authority and food authority under one roof.
With a view to streamline the work of this unified regulatory body in accordance with the respective laws, the state government last week appointed Husan Lal who earlier served as the secretary, social security, and managing director of Punjab Health Systems Corporation, as the first commissioner of the state FDA. With this strategic re-organisation, Punjab state joins the group of select few states in the country like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir to streamline and unify the two important departments under the same umbrella.
Earlier, a high level delegation headed by Rupanjali Karthik, additional secretary, department of health and family welfare, government of Punjab had visited Gujarat FDCA in October last year to understand and gauge the effective ways of running the administration, prior to undergoing this change. Ajay Singla, state drug controller of the Punjab drug department, who was also a part of this delegation informed that this move signals the changing regulatory dynamics in the state, which will further help in strengthening the regulatory and administrative apparatus to meet new challenges.
With this reshuffling in the regulatory set up, the Punjab FDA will now be the central authority in the state overlooking the smooth functioning and monitoring of the various rules and regulations pertaining to the concerned Acts. “By unifying the two important departments under the same authority we will be able to implement the rules and regulations under the D&C Act and FSSAI Act more effectively throughout the state. Especially since the regulatory requirements and mechanisation for the implementation of both the Acts are almost in the same lines, helping us to effectively scrape the bottlenecks and other complications arising out of dual regulatory body,” Singla added.
According to Dr H G Koshia, commissioner, Gujarat Food & Drugs Control Administration, as a regulator it is more effective to regulate and monitor the food and the drugs departments under a common regulatory body. Further he pointed out that ever since the successful establishment of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, more states across the country are strongly considering to unify their food and drug departments under the same body for better administrative purpose.
It is reported that the state of Karnataka is seriously looking into the possibility of unifying the two important departments under the state health ministry under a uniform authority on the lines of Gujarat FDCA.
With a view to streamline the work of this unified regulatory body in accordance with the respective laws, the state government last week appointed Husan Lal who earlier served as the secretary, social security, and managing director of Punjab Health Systems Corporation, as the first commissioner of the state FDA. With this strategic re-organisation, Punjab state joins the group of select few states in the country like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir to streamline and unify the two important departments under the same umbrella.
Earlier, a high level delegation headed by Rupanjali Karthik, additional secretary, department of health and family welfare, government of Punjab had visited Gujarat FDCA in October last year to understand and gauge the effective ways of running the administration, prior to undergoing this change. Ajay Singla, state drug controller of the Punjab drug department, who was also a part of this delegation informed that this move signals the changing regulatory dynamics in the state, which will further help in strengthening the regulatory and administrative apparatus to meet new challenges.
With this reshuffling in the regulatory set up, the Punjab FDA will now be the central authority in the state overlooking the smooth functioning and monitoring of the various rules and regulations pertaining to the concerned Acts. “By unifying the two important departments under the same authority we will be able to implement the rules and regulations under the D&C Act and FSSAI Act more effectively throughout the state. Especially since the regulatory requirements and mechanisation for the implementation of both the Acts are almost in the same lines, helping us to effectively scrape the bottlenecks and other complications arising out of dual regulatory body,” Singla added.
According to Dr H G Koshia, commissioner, Gujarat Food & Drugs Control Administration, as a regulator it is more effective to regulate and monitor the food and the drugs departments under a common regulatory body. Further he pointed out that ever since the successful establishment of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, more states across the country are strongly considering to unify their food and drug departments under the same body for better administrative purpose.
It is reported that the state of Karnataka is seriously looking into the possibility of unifying the two important departments under the state health ministry under a uniform authority on the lines of Gujarat FDCA.
CAIT urges Azad to evolve scheme to compound small, unharmful offenses
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) urged health minister
Ghulam Nabi Azad to evolve a scheme to compound offenses, under which
food business operators facing court cases for acts that are small in
nature or unharmful under the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act,
1954 can compound the offenses by paying a token amount and get
themselves acquitted of the offense registered against them.
The Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1954, was the predecessor of the Food Safety and Standards Authority Act, 2006, which came into effect on August 4, 2011. A copy of CAIT's communication to the minister has also been sent to K Chandramouli, chairman, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country's apex food regulator.
B C Bhartia, CAIT's national president, and Praveen Khandelwal, the secretary general of the traders' body, stated, “Food businesses in different states of the country are administered by the state Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). A huge number of cases are pending in courts of law across the country. These are of petty offenses and are neither very grave nor have not caused grievous injury to the health of the consumers.”
“Many such cases are about twenty years old and are yet to progress beyond the initial stage. With the scrapping of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, there is prime-facie no merit in continuing to fight cases registered under the said Act. Therefore, all such cases must be compounded,” the duo added in its written communication to Azad.
The trade leaders also suggested that if compounding of cases is not feasible, either a fast-track court or arbitration or reconciliation proceedings may be initiated to clear all the pending cases registered under PFA. “If this suggestion is implemented, it will help in clearing the waiting list of cases in the trial stage across the country,” added Bhartia and Khandelwal
The Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1954, was the predecessor of the Food Safety and Standards Authority Act, 2006, which came into effect on August 4, 2011. A copy of CAIT's communication to the minister has also been sent to K Chandramouli, chairman, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country's apex food regulator.
B C Bhartia, CAIT's national president, and Praveen Khandelwal, the secretary general of the traders' body, stated, “Food businesses in different states of the country are administered by the state Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). A huge number of cases are pending in courts of law across the country. These are of petty offenses and are neither very grave nor have not caused grievous injury to the health of the consumers.”
“Many such cases are about twenty years old and are yet to progress beyond the initial stage. With the scrapping of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, there is prime-facie no merit in continuing to fight cases registered under the said Act. Therefore, all such cases must be compounded,” the duo added in its written communication to Azad.
The trade leaders also suggested that if compounding of cases is not feasible, either a fast-track court or arbitration or reconciliation proceedings may be initiated to clear all the pending cases registered under PFA. “If this suggestion is implemented, it will help in clearing the waiting list of cases in the trial stage across the country,” added Bhartia and Khandelwal
Banned pesticide residues found in vegetable samples
In public interest: The findings are being made public not to make the
people panic but to look to safer alternatives.
The Kerala Agricultural University has found “dangerous
levels” of pesticide residue in key vegetables like cabbage,
cauliflower, vegetable cowpea (achinga), amaranthus red, small red onions, tomatoes, green chillies and curry leaves, among others.
The
residue includes that of the banned Profenofos, which falls into the
yellow category (second level of pesticides in the toxicity
classification) and which has translaminar action (the toxin entering
the plant system primarily by roots, and transported to locations
throughout the plant, where it can affect those who consume the
vegetables).
It has been banned in Kerala for nearly
three years now. The pesticide is allowed in India only in cotton and
tea and in other parts of the world, it is used only in cotton.
The
results came from tests carried out by the Pesticide Residue Research
and Analytical Laboratory, Vellayani near Thiruvananthapuram. The
findings have been put up on the Kerala Agricultural University’s
website http://www.kerala agriculture.gov.in
The banned pesticide residue was found mostly in gooseberries, green chilli, okra (bhindi), curry leaves, mint leaves and coriander leaves, said Thomas Biju Mathew, principal investigator for the project.
“Production and Marketing of Safe-to-Eat Vegetables for Sale through Government Outlets”.
He
said that the results were being made public not to make the people
panic but to look to safer alternatives. One of the highlights of the
findings was that most of the pesticides belonged to the surface contact
category and were not systemic.
The results are for
40 types of vegetables, samples of which were drawn from the
Thiruvananthapuram markets between January 1 and March 1, 2013.
The
KAU website also suggests methods to get rid of the residue. For
example, one suggestion is to separate cauliflower leaves and keep the
separated flowers dipped in salt or vinegar solution for 10 minutes and
to pass them through repeated washing. The vinegar solution can be made
of 20 ml of vinegar in a litre of water or 20 grams of salt in a litre
of water.
Vegetables have been placed in three
categories according to the level of pesticide residue in them. The most
dangerous category has been detected in vegetables like bhindi,
drumsticks, little gourd, red and yellow capsicum, gooseberries and
coriander leaves.
The less dangerous category of pesticides has been found in beetroot, brinjal, carrot and garlic.
The
farm produce that has been found not to carry pesticide residue
comprises tapioca, mangoes, cucumber, colocasia, beans, ginger, big
onion, capsicum (green), nendran bananas, ash gourd, pumpkins,
pineapples, and green peas.
The website does not
specify the level of pesticide residue in the individual items but the
director of the laboratory, which is under KAU, S. Nazeema Beevi, said
that the samples had been drawn over the first quarter of the year and
the situation may not remain the same for the next quarter.
She
said that the vegetables had been categorised as having dangerous
levels of pesticide because they exceeded the maximum residue limit
fixed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
Case against Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra for misleading advertisements
The two Bollywood superstars, along with eight cricketers including Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni, face the ire of the Department of Food Safety
Bollywood stars and cricketers do tons of advertisements every year.
At times, it turns out that the number of movies that a star does, or
the number of matches a cricketer plays is
far less than the number of ad films they do! At this pace, it seems
like they are becoming careless about the kind of products they endorse.
The Department of Food Safety, Uttarakhand has lodged a complaint against a number of celebrities including Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and
eight other cricketers for promoting adulterated products. The
cricketers who were mentioned are Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj
Singh, Gautam Gambhir, Virendra Sehwag and Zaheer Khan. The government
has also filed a case against Sahara honcho Subrata Roy since the
contaminated products were found at his shop, Sahara-Q.
Wethinks these folks better follow Aamir Khan’s example and beware of the stuff they advertisement the next time!
Jun 17, 2013
‘No poisonous ingredients in food samples’
PUNE:
Mystery continues to surround the death of two Katraj dairy employees
who died after consuming food at the Sagar Dhaba on Mumbai-Bangalore
Highway last month.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Pune has found no poisonous ingredients in the collected food samples.
“According
to the lab analysis reports, no poisonous ingredient was found in the
collected samples. Only the paneer was found to be of sub-standard
quality with low fat percentage. Therefore, no food poisoning case will
be lodged. However, a complaint was registered against the Dhaba owner
for using sub-standard quality of paneer,” said Shivkumar Kodgire, FDA
Assistant Commissioner.
On May 18, two
employees of the Katraj Dairy, run by the Pune Zilla Sahakari Dudh
Utpadak Sangh, were on their way to the milk city, Anand, to attend a
seminar on the dairy industry. They died in Gujarat due to suspected
food poisoning. The FDA food inspectors then collected samples of
paneer, oil, rice and flour from the Sagar Dhaba in Maval taluka, where
they had their dinner. The samples were sent to the State Analysis
Laboratory. The viscera of the two employees is awaited from the Gujarat
police. After the incident, the FDA had undertaken an inspection drive
of dhabas on the highways.
Speaking to
Sakal Times, FDA Joint Commissioner (Pune Division) SR Kekare said,
“The FDA squad checked adulteration of edible items like flour, oil and
food quality, hygienic condition of the kitchen, the cook, pest control,
medical check up of the dhaba employees etc. In all, 38 dhaba owners
have been sent improvement notices.”
After a period of 14 days, verification is done and necessary action would be taken, he added.
FOOD POISIONING WAS SUSPECTED
On
May 18, two employees of the Katraj Dairy, run by the Pune Zilla
Sahakari Dudh Utpadak Sangh, were on their way to the milk city, Anand,
to attend a seminar on the dairy industry. They consumed food at the
Sagar Dhaba on Mumbai-Bangalore Highway. They died in Gujarat due to
suspected food poisoning.
FDA to train city’s food business operators
Under this ambitious project,
all the food business operators in the city will be trained on the
sanitary and hygienic practices.
While
the experiment by FDA of training the roadside food vendors outside
Saras Baug was a failure, it is optimistic about the upcoming food
safety projects as it will now have the provision to take legal action
against food business operators if they fail in the hygienic practices
after completion of the training.
The project will be joint venture of the FDA, Pune and Bindra Hospitality Services Private Limited.
“In
a city like Pune that has around 9,000 small, medium and big food
business operators, it is difficult to train all of them. Therefore, a
phase-wise mass training in food handling and hygiene practices will be
given to all the restaurant owners, followed by kitchen operators of
various hotels and restaurants and basic food cart owners, home-based
mess owners and street vendors,” said S R Kekare, Joint Commissioner
(food) of FDA Pune.
The programme is designed as per Schedule 4 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Free
training will be given in a phased manner starting from hotel,
restaurant owners, managers, waiters and kitchen workers, home-based
mess and street vendors. All the operators will be registered and given
certificates after successful completion of the training.
“Often,
street vendors complain about not being aware of the Act and
maintaining hygiene levels. Hospitality experts will train them
scientifically and FDA officials will train them on the provisions of
the Act,” he added.
The training
sessions will comprise of cleaning the equipment and containers,
management and supervision, food testing facilities, audit,
documentation and records, personal hygiene, managing raw material,
drainage and waste disposal and ventilation and lighting. The training
will be given in Marathi, Hindi and English languages.
FREE TRAINING
Free
training will be given in a phased manner starting from hotel and
restaurant owners, managers, waiters and kitchen workers, home-based
mess and street vendors.
Govt dispatches 15 teams to test Rajasthan salt's worth
Rajasthan is the third largest salt producing state in India as it produces 1,96,000 tonnes of clean salt
every year which is 8.7% of country's total salt production. But in the inter-departmental meeting recently, there were discussions that the salt manufacturers in Nawa, Sambhar and Phalaudi are under lens for not maintaining proper Food and Safety Act standards.
There are complaints of manufacturers not maintaining standards of iodine salt. To look into the matter, teams of health department have been sent for investigation.
Talking to DNA, Dr BR Meena, health director, said, "During the recent inter-departmental meetings, it came to our notice that salt manufactures in Nawa, Sambhar and Phalaudi are not maintainin
g the standards required to manufacture salt."
There are complaints that iodine is not being used as per the standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standard Act. For which, around 15 teams have been sent for inspection. Anybody found flouting the norms will be punished under the Food Safety and Standard Act, he added.
There are around 200 salt manufacturers in Nawa and Phalaudi where salt is manufactured and supplied throughout the country.
Flouting norms!
There are complaints that iodine is not being used as per the standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standard Act
Deficiency of iodine in salt not only impairs thyroid function, but is also linked to increased risks of breast cancer and weight gain
There are around 200 salt manufacturers in Nawa and Phalaudi
every year which is 8.7% of country's total salt production. But in the inter-departmental meeting recently, there were discussions that the salt manufacturers in Nawa, Sambhar and Phalaudi are under lens for not maintaining proper Food and Safety Act standards.
There are complaints of manufacturers not maintaining standards of iodine salt. To look into the matter, teams of health department have been sent for investigation.
Talking to DNA, Dr BR Meena, health director, said, "During the recent inter-departmental meetings, it came to our notice that salt manufactures in Nawa, Sambhar and Phalaudi are not maintainin
g the standards required to manufacture salt."
There are complaints that iodine is not being used as per the standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standard Act. For which, around 15 teams have been sent for inspection. Anybody found flouting the norms will be punished under the Food Safety and Standard Act, he added.
There are around 200 salt manufacturers in Nawa and Phalaudi where salt is manufactured and supplied throughout the country.
Flouting norms!
There are complaints that iodine is not being used as per the standards prescribed under the Food Safety and Standard Act
Deficiency of iodine in salt not only impairs thyroid function, but is also linked to increased risks of breast cancer and weight gain
There are around 200 salt manufacturers in Nawa and Phalaudi
DFRL food to fight fatigue
Mysore:
After years of rigorous hard work, food scientists at Defence Food
Research Laboratory (DFRL) are on the verge of revolutionizing the food
industry.
An array of new generation nutraceuticals are being
developed by the defence lab, which will help Indian jawans fight
anxiety, sleep and fatigue for several hours without food or the minimum
food in extreme conditions. In fact, in-house trials done on white mice
proved that these foods will enhance performance.
Now, scientists
are gearing-up for ‘last-leg’ human trials before seeking necessary
clearances from the Directorate General Armed Forces Medical Services
(DGAFMC). Dr K. Radhakrishna, additional director, DFRL, told Deccan
Chronicle that there is a huge demand from the Indian army for
performance enhancing foods.
This was the thrust area for DFRL in
the 11th five-year plan and will continue to be in the 12th plan too.
Only a few developed countries like the USA have done extensive research
in this emerging area of food sciences and India will join the ‘elite’
club shortly.
“Though the products are still at the R&D stage,
the in-house trials have already given the desired results”, Dr
Radhakrishna said.
These nutraceuticals also have immense
potential in the civilian market, both domestic and international. For
example, a student can use these products to bust stress and depression
during exam time. Importantly, these products don’t have any
side-effects and are purely developed using micro-nutrients and
anti-oxidants extracted from natural herbs and plants, said a senior
DFRL scientist working with the project.
Already, DFRL has
developed several appetizers, stress-relieving biscuits, squash rich in
anti-oxidants from sea buckthorn, fruits and leaves, low-calorie aloe
vera drink for diabetics, cholesterol-lowering food and memory-enhancing
chocolates. Microbiological safety and shelf-life parameters were
checked as per international standards, Dr Radhakrishna added.
FSSAI testing packaged water samples and preparing database of quality
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) – the
country's apex food regulator – has commenced the testing of samples of
packaged drinking water from different sources across India for various
microbiological and chemical components. It is also working on the
preparation of a database of the quality of packaged drinking water.
The Authority has taken these steps following a letter by health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad urging it to ensure checking of units manufacturing packaged drinking water. The minister apprised the body of a spate of complaints about the quality of packaged drinking water being supplied to consumers in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
A senior FSSAI official said, “We have directed the food safety commissioners to test the quality of packaged drinking water and make the results available to us. The work has already begun. It is expected to take a while to complete. Only then we will comment on the issue.”
“FSSAI, however, will prepare the database upon the completion of the tests. The authority has also decided that the state food safety officers should conduct sampling of the packaged water at regular intervals. However, the duration of the sample collection will be set only after the results of the first phase of sampling are declared,” he added.
He further informed that the FSSAI had hired a legal firm to deal with the legal cases that come to the fore while implementing the regulations, and added that as far as the number of cases filed was concerned, no data was currently available.
“The Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, has a provision to set up tribunals for cases related to food safety and the process has, in fact, begun in the states. Currently the cases are filed in regular courts, but once the tribunals are set up, the hearings will take place in the tribunals,” he stated.
The Authority has taken these steps following a letter by health minister Ghulam Nabi Azad urging it to ensure checking of units manufacturing packaged drinking water. The minister apprised the body of a spate of complaints about the quality of packaged drinking water being supplied to consumers in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).
A senior FSSAI official said, “We have directed the food safety commissioners to test the quality of packaged drinking water and make the results available to us. The work has already begun. It is expected to take a while to complete. Only then we will comment on the issue.”
“FSSAI, however, will prepare the database upon the completion of the tests. The authority has also decided that the state food safety officers should conduct sampling of the packaged water at regular intervals. However, the duration of the sample collection will be set only after the results of the first phase of sampling are declared,” he added.
He further informed that the FSSAI had hired a legal firm to deal with the legal cases that come to the fore while implementing the regulations, and added that as far as the number of cases filed was concerned, no data was currently available.
“The Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, has a provision to set up tribunals for cases related to food safety and the process has, in fact, begun in the states. Currently the cases are filed in regular courts, but once the tribunals are set up, the hearings will take place in the tribunals,” he stated.
பான்மசாலா, குட்காவிற்கு ஜூன் 23 முதல்"குட்பை'
தேனி:பான்மசாலா,
குட்கா போன்ற புகையிலை கலந்த போதை பொருட்களுக்கு, ஜூன் 23 ல் இருந்து
வியாபாரிகள்,மொத்த ஸ்டாக்கிஸ்ட்கள் அனைவரும் "குட் பை' சொல்ல வேண்டும், என
அரசு உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது. தமிழகத்தில் பான்மசாலா, குட்கா போன்ற புகையிலை
மற்றும் நிகோடின் கலந்த போதைப் பொருட்களை விற்பனை செய்வது, கடந்த மே 23
முதல் தடை செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. சில்லரை விற்பனை கடைகளில் விற்கப்படும்
பான்மசாலா, குட்காவை அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்து வருகின்றனர். அவற்றை,
அதிகமாக வாங்கி இருப்பு வைத்துள்ள ஸ்டாக்கிஸ்ட்டுகளுக்கு, நோட்டீஸ்
வழங்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது. அவர்கள் ஜூன் 22 க்கு பிறகு, இருப்பில் உள்ள
பான் மசாலா, குட்கா போன்றவற்றை தமிழகத்தில் விற்க கூடாது, என அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டு உள்ளது. ஜூன் 23 முதல் பான் மசாலா, குட்கா போன்ற புகையிலை பொருட்களுக்கு அனைவரும் "குட்பை' சொல்லி விட வேண்டும். அதன்பிறகு, உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு பிரிவு அலுவலர்கள் நடத்தும் சோதனையில் கண்டு பிடித்தால், அவை பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டு, சட்டப்படி நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்,என அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.
பான் மசாலா, குட்கா போன்றவற்றை தமிழகத்தில் விற்க கூடாது, என அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டு உள்ளது. ஜூன் 23 முதல் பான் மசாலா, குட்கா போன்ற புகையிலை பொருட்களுக்கு அனைவரும் "குட்பை' சொல்லி விட வேண்டும். அதன்பிறகு, உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு பிரிவு அலுவலர்கள் நடத்தும் சோதனையில் கண்டு பிடித்தால், அவை பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டு, சட்டப்படி நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்,என அதிகாரிகள் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.
Sustainability code for tea industry from July 11
VADODARA: Tea Board Chairman MGVK Bhanu has said the board will unveil a
'sustainability code' for the industry on July 11, and redefine the way
it operates.
Addressing the 24th annual general meeting of the Federation of All-India Tea Traders Associations at Anand, about 40 kilometres from Vadodara, Bhanu said yesterday: "The board will introduce a set of parameters which will redefine the way tea industry works, right from production to certification to labour welfare to maintenance of global safety standards."
Stating that the code will be viable for all the stakeholders, Bhanu added, "the sustainability code is a broad-based package aimed at all-round development of the tea sector."
Being developed by the board in collaboration with four reputed agencies associated with the industry, the code encompasses all aspects of tea production.
"The aim of the initiative is to sustain the tea industry by following the set of codes developed keeping Indian realities and globally accepted sustainability principles in mind to improve the social and economic conditions of the plantations," Tea Board adviser and former Director G Boriah said.
The code will also include parameters to be adopted to boost productivity, introduce labour welfare measures, maintain safety standards in factories and limit use of pesticides in the plantations.
He said the board had evolved a draft code that would be launched on a pilot basis and tested for the next six to nine months.
"The idea is to improve quality compliance, mitigate effects of climate change, ensure ethical sourcing and inclusion of small farmers in the mainstream," he said.
He further said the sustainability code is aimed at ensuring that consumers get a healthy cup of tea, keeping in mind the food safety standards, importance for which is growing globally.
Addressing the 24th annual general meeting of the Federation of All-India Tea Traders Associations at Anand, about 40 kilometres from Vadodara, Bhanu said yesterday: "The board will introduce a set of parameters which will redefine the way tea industry works, right from production to certification to labour welfare to maintenance of global safety standards."
Stating that the code will be viable for all the stakeholders, Bhanu added, "the sustainability code is a broad-based package aimed at all-round development of the tea sector."
Being developed by the board in collaboration with four reputed agencies associated with the industry, the code encompasses all aspects of tea production.
"The aim of the initiative is to sustain the tea industry by following the set of codes developed keeping Indian realities and globally accepted sustainability principles in mind to improve the social and economic conditions of the plantations," Tea Board adviser and former Director G Boriah said.
The code will also include parameters to be adopted to boost productivity, introduce labour welfare measures, maintain safety standards in factories and limit use of pesticides in the plantations.
He said the board had evolved a draft code that would be launched on a pilot basis and tested for the next six to nine months.
"The idea is to improve quality compliance, mitigate effects of climate change, ensure ethical sourcing and inclusion of small farmers in the mainstream," he said.
He further said the sustainability code is aimed at ensuring that consumers get a healthy cup of tea, keeping in mind the food safety standards, importance for which is growing globally.
Rotten meat enters city, this time by bus
The meat had been transported from Karnataka and was to be unloaded in Periamet, Vepery and Kilpauk
Food safety department officials on Sunday seized 2.5
tonnes of rotten meat that was transported into the city by bus. Having
received a tip-off on Saturday, the officials waited at three locations
along Poonamallee High Road at dawn and seized the meat parcels.
The
officials found packets of rotten meat which were being smuggled in
through buses coming from Karnataka. Soon, the police and officials of
Chennai Corporation’s health department reached the spot and analysed
the samples. The meat was of inferior quality and was making its way to
eateries in the city.
The meat was destroyed in
Kodungaiyur dump yard. The food safety officials will create awareness
among traders this week on the impact of such trade on public health.
Earlier
in September 2012, the civic body had cracked down on business units in
the city that had been found smuggling carcasses from Nellore,
Vijayawada and Kakinada in trains. Chennai Central and Egmore stations
were the hubs of this illegal trade.
So far, over 25 tonnes of rotten meat have been seized in the city.
No business units in the city were sealed on Sunday.
The meat parcels were meant to be unloaded in Periamet, Vepery and Kilpauk.
2,500kg of rotting beef seized from K’taka bus
Chennai: Beef smugglers have found a new mode of transport — inter-state and district buses.
After facing the heat from raids and seizures from Chennai Corporation and railway officials at Egmore railway station, smugglers seemed to have turned to transport by road. “They seem to have taken to buses because there are fewer checks. Only during the Diwali season are buses checked regularly,” said a corporation official.
On Sunday morning, based on a tip-off, officials stopped a bus from Vaniyambadi with a Karnataka registration number on EVR Periyar Salai. They found 2,500kg of beef in gunny bags in the luggage compartment. “Small plastic packets of meat were stored in other bags,” said Chennai district food officer S Lakshminarayanan.
The meat was discoloured, and the bus driver did not have any documents for the beef such as a bill of sale, details of buyers or a veterinarian certificate, said food safety officers. “The corporation’s veterinary officer saw the colour of the meat and deemed it unfit for consumption. Since there were no certificates, we think the meat could have been obtained from unauthorised slaughter houses, and thus can’t be sold,” said Lakshminarayanan. The luggage compartment of a bus is neither airconditioned nor hascoldstorage facilities.
Bus operators said the meat was from Vaniyambadi and meant for door-to-door sale in Muslim houses. Officials suspect that the meat is from Andhra Pradesh and more than 24 hours old.
“According to the information we received, it is from outsidethestate,” said an official. “The beef was probably going to be used to adulterate mutton. Large shops and restaurants, which buy in bulk, often purchase mutton mixed with beef,” said Lakshminarayanan. The mix can be 5kg of beef to 30kg of mutton. He said the adulteration is mild and can only be discerned through testing of the meat’s muscle strains.
Corporation officials said such adulteration could cause health complications. “Hotels who buy in bulk need meat cheap,” said an official. “Serving rotten meat could cause an outbreakof food poisoning,” an official said.
Last year, railway police and corporation officials seized thousands of kilograms of beef entering the city through Egmore and Central railway stations. They intensified raids on trains coming from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The immediate effect of Sunday’s seizure seemed to be a rise in beef and mutton prices in Chintadripet and Periamet. Beef, which became pricier threeweeks ago, was even more expensive became on Sunday afternoon. “The price of beef went up from 150 to 180 a kg three weeks ago,” said Sajan, who runs Kerala Mess in Teynampet.
“Webuy our Sundaystock by 5.30am,” said Areef Amin, who runs a biriyani outlet on Sydenhams Road. “We needed more mutton and beef around noon, and had to pay 190 per kg of beef,” he said.
After facing the heat from raids and seizures from Chennai Corporation and railway officials at Egmore railway station, smugglers seemed to have turned to transport by road. “They seem to have taken to buses because there are fewer checks. Only during the Diwali season are buses checked regularly,” said a corporation official.
On Sunday morning, based on a tip-off, officials stopped a bus from Vaniyambadi with a Karnataka registration number on EVR Periyar Salai. They found 2,500kg of beef in gunny bags in the luggage compartment. “Small plastic packets of meat were stored in other bags,” said Chennai district food officer S Lakshminarayanan.
The meat was discoloured, and the bus driver did not have any documents for the beef such as a bill of sale, details of buyers or a veterinarian certificate, said food safety officers. “The corporation’s veterinary officer saw the colour of the meat and deemed it unfit for consumption. Since there were no certificates, we think the meat could have been obtained from unauthorised slaughter houses, and thus can’t be sold,” said Lakshminarayanan. The luggage compartment of a bus is neither airconditioned nor hascoldstorage facilities.
Bus operators said the meat was from Vaniyambadi and meant for door-to-door sale in Muslim houses. Officials suspect that the meat is from Andhra Pradesh and more than 24 hours old.
“According to the information we received, it is from outsidethestate,” said an official. “The beef was probably going to be used to adulterate mutton. Large shops and restaurants, which buy in bulk, often purchase mutton mixed with beef,” said Lakshminarayanan. The mix can be 5kg of beef to 30kg of mutton. He said the adulteration is mild and can only be discerned through testing of the meat’s muscle strains.
Corporation officials said such adulteration could cause health complications. “Hotels who buy in bulk need meat cheap,” said an official. “Serving rotten meat could cause an outbreakof food poisoning,” an official said.
Last year, railway police and corporation officials seized thousands of kilograms of beef entering the city through Egmore and Central railway stations. They intensified raids on trains coming from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The immediate effect of Sunday’s seizure seemed to be a rise in beef and mutton prices in Chintadripet and Periamet. Beef, which became pricier threeweeks ago, was even more expensive became on Sunday afternoon. “The price of beef went up from 150 to 180 a kg three weeks ago,” said Sajan, who runs Kerala Mess in Teynampet.
“Webuy our Sundaystock by 5.30am,” said Areef Amin, who runs a biriyani outlet on Sydenhams Road. “We needed more mutton and beef around noon, and had to pay 190 per kg of beef,” he said.
Dist health officials issue contradictory statements
Ludhiana, June 16
The district health officer and the food safety officer, it seems, are in a confrontation mode. The former claims that the practice of collecting legal samples started after he joined as the district health officer in Ludhiana, but the latter belies his claims.
Talking to the Tribune, district health officer Dr Avinash Kumar said: “Before I joined, the district health department used to collect quality samples of eatables. The collection of legal samples started during my tenure. In May, we collected 16 samples of eatables, out of which three failed the purity test.”
Refuting his claims, food safety officer, Ludhiana, Harpreet Kaur said: “We were collecting legal samples even before the district health officer joined in Ludhiana. We collected five samples of mid-day meal from the central kitchen situated at Sherpur Kalan last year before Dr Avinash Kumar joined in Ludhiana."
However, taking a U-turn, the district health officer later said: “I was not aware that the legal samples were being collected in the district before my joining.”
3 samples fail test
The district helath officer said: “In May, the health team collected 16 legal samples of mid-day meals from different places, including the central kitchen. The samples of raw rice were found substandard. A case will be filed in the court of adjudicating officer-cum additional deputy commissioner (general). The other samples were of cooked rice, which were found unfit for human consumption. The cases will be filed in the court of the chief judicial magistrate.”
What’s the difference?
The district health officer and the food safety officer, it seems, are in a confrontation mode. The former claims that the practice of collecting legal samples started after he joined as the district health officer in Ludhiana, but the latter belies his claims.
Talking to the Tribune, district health officer Dr Avinash Kumar said: “Before I joined, the district health department used to collect quality samples of eatables. The collection of legal samples started during my tenure. In May, we collected 16 samples of eatables, out of which three failed the purity test.”
Refuting his claims, food safety officer, Ludhiana, Harpreet Kaur said: “We were collecting legal samples even before the district health officer joined in Ludhiana. We collected five samples of mid-day meal from the central kitchen situated at Sherpur Kalan last year before Dr Avinash Kumar joined in Ludhiana."
However, taking a U-turn, the district health officer later said: “I was not aware that the legal samples were being collected in the district before my joining.”
3 samples fail test
The district helath officer said: “In May, the health team collected 16 legal samples of mid-day meals from different places, including the central kitchen. The samples of raw rice were found substandard. A case will be filed in the court of adjudicating officer-cum additional deputy commissioner (general). The other samples were of cooked rice, which were found unfit for human consumption. The cases will be filed in the court of the chief judicial magistrate.”
What’s the difference?
Food safety officer Harpreet Kaur said: “In both cases, we send the samples to a laboratory. In case of a legal sample, action is taken through a court under the Food Safety and Standard Act. However, in quality control samples, a violator is issued an improvement notice.”
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