Election Results: Gadkari election revives hopes

Local businessmen also plan to lobby for reversal of some decisions taken by UPA government to which they were opposed to. B C Bhartia of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) traders will lobby with Gadkari to have FDI in multi-brand retail reversed, Food Safety and Standards Act diluted and for implementation of goods and services tax (GST).

Adulterated Coconut Oil Floods Market as Prices Skyrocket in State

KASARGOD: With the price of coconut oil skyrocketing, adulterated coconut oil is invading the markets in the state.

Coconut oil mixed with palm kernel oil, which is harmful for health, is being sold here widely under the pretext of pure coconut oil.

The palm kernel oil has the same characteristics and aroma of pure coconut oil, which makes it difficult to detect adulteration. One litre palm kernel oil costs only `20 to `40, whereas one litre coconut oil costs up to `180. So the merchants promote the sale of adulterated coconut oil eyeing huge profit. The Food Safety Officers are concerned about this and they have intensified raids at checkposts and shops.

Last month alone, over a hundred trucks carrying coconut oil were stopped in the checkposts to collect samples, of which, over 50 were found adulterated. It includes the one which was seized by the Food Safety Officers in Kollam on Thursday.

Even though developed nations have banned the import of palm kernel oil taking into account itsharmful effects on health, India has not done so. So Food Safety Officers cannot do anything until and unless the culprits are caught red-handed while selling adulterated oil or while mixing it. Malaysia is the major exporter of palm kernel oil and it is exported not for edible purposes but as a raw material for soap-making and other industries. “Importing palm kernel oil is not a crime and it is being used as a raw material in the soap-making industry. But everyday, hundreds of vehicles carrying palm kernel oil reach Kerala via checkposts and it poses a natural question, do we have that many soap industries in Kerala,” said a Food Safety Officer on condition of anonymity.

It is also alleged that politicians work hand in glove with those who supply palm kernel oil and many food safety officers have been transferred for intercepting vehicles carrying palm kernel oil.

Other than palm kernel oil, paraffin, petroleum byproducts and mineral oils etc. are also being widely used as coconut oil adulterants. Food Safety Commissioner-in-charge Anil Kumar, when contacted, said, “We have intensified raids and inspection in the wake of this. Strict instruction has also been given to Tamil Nadu Food Safety Commissionerate to monitor the outflow of oils to Kerala.”

He also said that there was nothing to worry as the palm kernel oil is as good as coconut oil.

EU banned Alphonso before testing new quality regime

An audit report by the Food and Vertinary Office, an agency of the European Union, has shown that India did take note of quality concerns raised in its export of plant and plant products, and had informed the intergovernmental body last August about the new quality control mechanism to be effective from April 1.

The EU has banned the export of Alphonso mangoes and four vegetables — eggplant, taro plant (colocasia), bitter gourd and snake gourd — from India on grounds that it did not adhere to repeated warnings on quality control.

In its reply to the Food and Vertinary Office (FVO) audit conducted in April, the Indian authorities had submitted an action plan on August 23, 2013, according to the report placed on the website of the EU.

In that reply, Indian authorities said, “The system of official checks has been reviewed and it has been decided to devise a new system of export inspection and certification at the pack house where adequate facilities for inspection, examination/testing, etc. will be available and the produce will be packed under the supervision of plant quarantine official. This system will be put in practice effective April 1, 2014.”

India had also told the EU that as an interim arrangement, an exclusive area for inspection and certification work “has been established at the Mumbai airport from where major export to EU countries takes place”.

The EU, in the last week of March, decided to ban imports citing “significant shortcomings in the phytosanitary certification system”, days before the new system was scheduled to roll out. The decision of the EU’s standing committee on plant health came after 207 consignments of fruits and vegetables from India were found to be contaminated by pests, including fruit flies.

An official told The Indian Express that the EU, despite being aware of the proposal, chose not to wait to see the effectiveness of the new quality control mechanism.

The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority in a notification on March 14, had asked all exporters to route shipments of fresh fruits and vegetables through APEDA-approved pack houses, where it would be monitored by plant quarantine personnel.

The National Plant Protection Organisation had assured the FVO mission during its visit to India in November 2011 and last April, of pest-free exports from April 1 this year.

Traces of cyanide found in packaged drinking water

PUNE: Traces of cyanide, a powerful poison and chemical contaminant, have been found in packaged drinking water during a routine exerciseof the Food and Drugs Administration to check samples. This is the first time cyanide has been found in packaged drinking water in the state.

The FDA had collected the samples from two plants located in Jalna and Parbhani districts. The samples were tested at FDA's referral laboratory that confirmed the presence of cyanide in unsafe proportion, following which the body filed an FIR against both the plant owners.

Officials said they will now move court against the plant owners for violating norms of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, there should be no trace of cyanide in packaged drinking water. Both the plants have been closed down after FDA issued temporary prohibitory orders.

The major source of cyanide in drinking water is discharge fromindustrial chemical factories. People who drink water containing cyanide for many years could experience nerve damage or problems with their thyroid.

FDA officials had picked up samples of bottled water from the packaged water plant located in Ner village in Jalna district as part of a routine check. They sent the samples to Pune-based State Public Health Laboratory for testing, which found it unsafe for human consumption as it had rod-shaped bacteria called coliform in high proportion.

When the plant owner was informed about the negative test results, he rejected it and asked the officials to reconfirm the results with the government's referral laboratory in Ghaziabad. Officials then sent another bottled water sample drawn from the same plant in the prescribed format to this laboratory. The referral laboratory cited the presence of cyanide about a month and a half ago.

"The referral laboratory found 0.007 milligram cyanide per litre of water and labelled the sample as unsafe for human consumption. There is no industrial chemical factory close to the plant or even in its 10 km radius. The plant is surrounded by agricultural land. The chemical fertilizers used in agriculture may have percolated into the ground water, which is being used by the plant to make packaged drinking water," said A G Deshpande, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Jalna.

FDA officials on March 14 filed an FIR against the plant owner with Ner police station. "We have now sought permission from the FDA headquarters in Mumbai to prosecute the plant owner under section 59 (1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. The punishment is imprisonment up to six months," Deshpande said.

Similar case of packaged water containing cyanide surfaced in Parbhani two months ago. The FDA officials drew samples from the plant located in MIDC area. The samples failed on fitnessparameters, but the plant owner wanted to get the samples tested at referral laboratory and made an appeal for the same with the officials.

"We then sent the water samples to the referral laboratory which found 0.012 milligram cyanide per liter of water and labelled it unsafe for consumption. We then asked the Bureau of Indian Standards to cancel the licence of the plant, filed an FIR with the police and issued temporary prohibitory order to the factory to close down the plant till further orders. We have proposed to prosecute the plant owner and have sought permission in this regard," said R D Kokadwar, assistant commissioner (food), FDA, Pune.

When contacted, state FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagade said, "This is the outcome of our intensified surveillance network. Stringent action is being taken against the packaged drinking water plant owners who are found at fault. I do not know about other states, but presence of cyanide has been found for the first time in packaged drinking water in Maharashtra."

Fact-sheet:

Cyanide

* Cyanides, which are powerful poisons, can both occur naturally - by certain bacteria and algae - or be man-made

* It is carbon-nitrogen chemical unit which combines with many organic and inorganic compounds

* Many of the cyanides in soil and water come from industrial processes like electroplating, metallurgy, 

production of organic chemicals and plastics, photographic developing, and mining

* The primary source of cyanide in the air is from car exhaust

* Smoking is another important source of cyanide

* Common toxic cyanide compounds include hydrogen cyanide gas (HCN), potassium cyanide, and sodium cyanide

* At pH less than 8, cyanide exists in water as HCN, which is more harmful to aquatic life than the free cyanide ion. HCN is also a chemical warfare weapon

* The cyanide toxic effect is due to its reaction with the trivalent iron in the cytochrome oxidase(cyt aa3) to inhibit electron transport and thus preventing the cells from consuming oxygen, leading to rapid impairment of the vital functions

* Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), hydroxocobalamin, dicobalt-EDTA, 4-Dimethylaminophenol (DMAP) are cyanide antidotes, which are effective in experimental and human cyanide poisoning

The standards

* In India, the presence of cyanide should be nil in drinking water. This norm is more stringently monitored for packaged drinking water

* According to Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Food Safety and Standards (food products and food additives) Regulations, 2011, cyanide (CN) should be absent in packaged drinking water and mineral water

* The maximum contaminant level (MCL) for cyanide set by the United State Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is 0.2 milligram per liter. EPA has set this level of protection based on the best available science to prevent potential health problems

WHAT SHINES IS NOT HEALTHY

Neatly stacked, glossed up and vibrantly colourful – it might seem like the ideal place to pick your fruits and vegetablesfrom, but beware, for everything that shines is not gold. In this case, definitely not healthy either. 

That perfect shiny brinjal or the plum red apple could actually be covered with a coating of artificial colour, dangerous for human body. No matter how loyal your local fruit vendor is to you, he himself may not be aware of the harmful effects of such colours used to gloss up these fruits. Cityplus digs deep to find out.

The colour code

Health experts complain that the Directorate of Prevention of Food Adulteration of the State Government hasn’t taken any action against those involved despite knowing that coloured vegetables and fruits contain

hazardous substancesand sold boldly in wholesale and retail markets and outlets. Usually by the time, fruits and vegetables come from the farmers, their shine and freshness is compromised upon due to the time lapse and transportation from one place to another. To give these a fresh look, it has been known that suppliers are applying artificial colours on them and chemicals are put on their skins to maintain the sheen. The most common artificially coloured and shining vegetables and fruits in the market are pumpkin, ladyfinger, cucumber, eggplant, wax gourd, apple, pear and guava.

A wholesale fruit seller Sajid Abbas tells CityPlus, “We get these fruits from the local mandis. The fruit changes several hands from the time it is sold by the farmer until it reaches the fruit seller. We sell the fruits as they come to us.” 

Vijay, a vegetable vendor at Ameerpet reveals, “In dry weather vegetables look stale and customers refrain from buying these. I apply light oil on brinjals and parwals (wax gourds). Anyway these are washed before cooking.” 

Harmless as his claims may be, what he does not know that usage of oils and other substances on vegetables and fruits are punishable by law and equally harmful forhuman health. 

The rules

As per rule 48-E of the PFA Rules, 1955, fresh fruits and vegetables shall not be rotten and also not coated in wax, mineral oils and colours. However, there is a provision for coating fresh fruits with food additive such as bee wax. But how many vendors actually use it? A vegetable seller at Begumpet’s Friday market says, “We are poor daily wage earners. We usually use some oil that we get at a cheap rate from factories.”

Nalini Jayathi, a home maker from Banjara Hills, also frequenting Himayat Nagar often says, “The other day I bought apples from a local vendor. After washing it, the moment I cut the apples, light pink colour stained my hands. The very next day I asked the vendor as to why he had coloured the apples to which he replied that he buys the stock from the wholesaler and isn’t aware of what’s going on.”

Regulation of Food Law

Cityplus decided to speak to the AP Commissionerate of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) regarding this. K. N. Swarup, the Deputy Food Controller told, “Till date we have not come across the colouring of fruits and vegetables. Those who have faced such problems can send us a complaint and we will conduct a raid, test the sample and strict actions will be taken against those who are found guilty. Yes, we have dealt with cases where prohibited artificial colours are found in food items such as sauces, sweetmeats and fried stuff.” 

Other foods also not spared

Rahul Kakkar, a businessman and foodie says, “The other day I saw local eatery cooking sweet rice which is yellow in colour. I saw the cook using a yellow colour from a box that read ‘STRICTLY FOR INDUSTRIAL USE’. I asked him why he’s using it when it is forbidden to which he said that ‘a pinch will not harm anyone’. Now I am extremely careful about where I buy my food stuff from.”

Beware 

Buy fruits and vegetables from known dealers. 

Do not buy and consume cut fruits from open market. 

Always wash the fruits twice or thrice under running water. 

Avoid eating very brightly coloured food items.

"In dry weather, vegetables look stale and customers refrain from buying these. I apply light oil on brinjals and parwals (wax gourds).vijay, vegetable vendor "

Be careful while licking on popsicle, ice may have been sourced from morgue

RAIPUR: If you are eyeing that roadside popsicle or barf ka gola made in unhygienic ice and later dipped in scrumptious looking colorful sherbet, think again. This little piece of heaven in heat is enough to escort people to hospital beds, warn doctors. If that's not startling enough, take this — the ice comes from the bars used in mortuaries to keep dead bodies.

Even as jaundice soars high in capital and neighbouring cities, awareness and precaution is a far cry when it comes to consumption of hygienic food and liquid.

While civic body has already closed down few ice factories, quality of roadside popsicles is yet to be checked. Ice bars are stored at insanitary places and medical students

have informed about vendors stealing and purchasing ice bars already used in mortuaries. This highly infectedcrushed ice is sold as popsicle on the roadside.

While this is heights of negligence, officials at Raipur Municipal Corporation and food and adulteration department claim that regular checks are being conducted.

Talking to Times of India, food safety officer Dr Ashwini Dewanagan said, "Soon after the jaundice scare, we inspected 40-50 roadside vendors in parts of capital and Durg. It's true that they do not store ice bars at clean places. It is mostly kept in open above drains. But it's not possible to keep a check on daily basis as the vendors are large in number."

Dewangan said that many ice factories involved in irregularities have been shut down and samples of milk was also being checked at regular intervals. "It's people who need to beware at present situation. Avoiding sugarcane juice, water sold in pouches and not buying mineral water bottles without ISI marks are the solution," he said.

Dr Arif Memon, a physician, said that popsicles and sugarcane juice should be completely avoided because the quality of water used to prepare ice can't be checked at that moment. "Moreover, germs and viruses in frozen water remain active to harm human body. Even if people wish to eat outside food they should properly check the surroundings and cleanliness the vendor maintains," he said. He suggested that one should keep a check on ingredients in the food being consumed. "Better prepare popsicle or slush at home after boiling water and freezing it," he said.

Raipur has more than 2,000 popsicle vendors who collectively earn more than Rs 5 lakh every month. Residents often yield to their temptation during the day given the extreme temperatures. But with jaundice ghost riding high on people, they are being advised to carry water bottles and energy drinks.

Moreover, the coloured sherbets used in popsicles is also made of inedible colours which rot after being kept for long.

DINAMANI NEWS

900kg of artificially ripened mangoes seized during raids

CHENNAI: Food safety department officials seized around 900kg of artificially ripened mangoes from three markets in the city in a two-day drive that ended on Thursday. 

On Wednesday and Thursday, three teams ofofficials raided shops at the Koyambedu whosalefruit market, T Nagar and Kothawalchavadi and seized 300kg of calcium carbide, a carcinogen used to artificially ripen mangoes. Officials say most of the mangoes that were ripened using the chemical were of the 'Banganapalle' and 'Neelam' varieties. 

This is the third such raid by the department since the beginning of this year's mango season. In April, more than 50kg of calcium carbide and nearly two tonnes of artificially-ripened mangoes were seized from 200 shops. 

Food safety officials say the seizures are much higher than last year. "The practice is more rampant this year probably owing to the fact that the season got off to a slow start. We have stepped up vigil and will conduct surprise raids once in a week," said food safety officer S Lakshmi Narayanan. In addition to the raids, officials are also distributing pamphlets to wholesalers and retailers listing the harmful effects of artificial ripening in a bid to curb the practice. 

Calcium carbide is the most commonly used chemical to ripen the 'king' of fruits. Some vendorsalso resort to burning kerosene stove or incense sticks in closed rooms to quicken the ripening process. Experts say these methods make mangoes appear a bright yellow and enjoy a longer shelf life but are dangerous for consumption. 

Calcium carbide is banned under Section 44A of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, but continues to be widely used by fruit merchants. The chemical in solid form is kept wrapped in paper among the fruits. It reacts with water to form acetylene that catalyses the ripening process.

Medical experts say calcium carbide may contain traces of arsenic and phosphorous, which could damage the kidney and liver and cause ulcers and gastric problems.

Food Dept Seizes 3 Tonnes of Artificially Ripened Mangoes

Officials of Food Safety Department inspecting the artificially ripened mangoes at Grand Bazaar in Puducherry on Wednesday

Three tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes were destroyed by the Food Safety Department after confiscating them from two godowns in Grand Bazar market on Wednesday. ‘Banganapalli’ and ‘Neelam‘ mangoes were found to be artificially ripened using calcium carbide, which is carcinogenic, Food Safety Officer Dhanraj told Express. 

Based on a complaint from the Puducherry Municipality, a team of municipal and revenue officials checked the products and found them artificially ripened and in violation of Food Safety and Standard Regulation, 2011. 

Such artificially ripened fruits do not have a pleasant smell and are half yellow and half green, Dhanraj said. Other fruits like bananas are also artificially ripened using calcium carbide.

Vendors warned against selling artificially ripened mangoes

Even as mango season sets in, fruit vendors have been put on notice by authorities against selling artificially ripened varieties that are flooding markets across the city. 

Terming such acts illegal, the officials of Department of Food Safety and Revenue Department warned that it would crack down on vendors and traders in the city found to be selling artificially ripened fruits. 

The department’s diktat follows reports of mass arrivals of artificially ripened fruits from parts ofTamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. 

Recently, on receiving a tip-off from the public, the sleuths of the food safety department launched raids at several shops and godowns owned by fruit vendors in the Big Market area right in the heart of the city. 

The tip-off proved to be authentic as officials stumbled upon a large quantity of mangoes ripened artificially using banned chemical calcium carbideas additive. These mangoes were sold in polythene packs or in cartons for bulk buyers. 

I. Danaraj, Food Safety Officer, told The Hindu : “The tip-off helped us organise raids on shops and godowns in the Big Market vicinity with the assistance of Revenue and Municipal authorities. We found small sachets of calcium carbide kept in several cartons which contained fruits. We seized those fruits weighing approximately three tonnes from vendors. Immediately after the seizure, we destroyed and disposed of the fruits.” 

Explaining that such artificially ripened mangoes would give serious health hazards to the general public, he said the officials had warned vendors against adopting artificial methods to ripen the fruits. Severe action was being contemplated against offenders after consultation with top officials in government, he said. 

The provisions of Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on sales) Regulations, 2011, prohibits the use of carbide gas in ripening of fruits. The provision says, “No person shall sell or offer or expose for sale or have in his premises for the purpose of sale under any description, fruits which have been artificially ripened by use of acetylene gas, commonly known as carbide gas.

In the eyes of the law, the ‘Fresh Fruits and Vegetables shall be free from rotting and free from coating of waxes, mineral oil and colours.’

Need to change old rules on milk standards: NDRI head

Director of the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Dr AK Srivastava, has said that there is no scientific study to establish the gravity of milk adulteration in the country. However, he told HT on Tuesday that there was a dire need to change dairy standard rules and to protect the interests of progressive dairy farmers. 

Srivastava said t he dairy industry in Punjab banks on the cross-bred animals, but quality standardisation laws of milk and otherdairy products had not been changed in the last six decades. “Milk is the only food item in which any kind of mixture is prohibited and media reports on fake milk do occur. Food and Standard Authority of India is raising the demand for provision of life imprisonment since long for milk adulteration,” he said. 

Srivastava said that while introducing strict punitive measures was welcome, standardisation exercise should also be carried out. “Milk samples are bound to fail tests on fat, protein etc on the cross-bred animals mainly on the technical points and scientific basis. 

Milk standardisation was fixed soon after Independence when India had only indigenous breeds,” said Srivastava while adding that it would be premature that the region was facing an acute problem of milk laced with chemicals or harmful components. 

Rotten food seized from hotels in Kasaragod

Unfit for consumption:Food safety officials seize stale food from an eatery in Kasaragod on Thursday.

Stale food items were seized from five hotels in the town during a day-long raid carried out by food safety authorities of the Kasaragod municipality on Thursday.

The team also found spoilt milk and bannedplastic bags from the five private eateries in various parts of the town, a senior food safety official said.

The authorities have registered cases against thehotel owners for preparing food items in unhygienic conditions.

The authorities were planning to issue notices to the erring hotels while the raids would continue in coming days, he said.

Lifting Ban On Iodised Salt

Common salt was banned in India in 2005 on the ground that it is injurious to health and can cause goiter. But a Govt. Study reveals that iodised salt has hardly helped in curing the disease. So was it banned to help the corporates to make money through high price iodised salt?

Common salt was banned in 2005 by theGovernment of India and also by most of the states on the ground that it is injurious to health and can cause goiter. However, there was no scientific evidence to that effect. On the other hand, iodised salt, if consumed in excess, is definitely harmful, if not fatal. Ban on common salt meant a regime of compulsory iodization of salt, which resulted to zero choice to consumers.

The common salt farmers were thrown out of employment as demand for their product suddenly dropped. The move also cost the economy dearly because of its import of iodine for salt iodiation. All this while the salt corporate lobby and the iodine import lobby thrived and regaled at the expense of the poor masses, including both salt consumers and producers. Being monopolists, the salt corporate sector could restrict the supply of iodised salt, creating artificial scarcity and consequently hiking its price beyond the reach of the ordinary man. A PIL was filed in the Supreme Court in 2006 by agro-scientists, doctors, healthcare experts and farmers in the name of "Academy of Nutrition Improvement & Others versus Union of India through Ministry of Health & Family Welfare" challenging the ban on common salt.

The PIL finally resulted into the apex court lifting the ban by its judgment dated 4th July, 2011. The ban was lifted not on merits as such but on the technical ground that the ban was effected under a Rule (44-I of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules) which prohibited sale of food or substances which were injurious to health whereas the Government never claimed that non-iodised salt when consumed by human beings was injurious or harmful to health.

However, at the same time, due to the sensitivity of the issue, the apex court allowed the ban to continue for six more months and directed the govt. to appoint a committee of experts to examine whether non-iodised salt was responsible for the spread of goiter and if so, to ban the consumption of common salt by legislation or appropriate measure.

Instead of following these directions, the Govt. of India proceeded to substitute Rule 44-I by a similar Regulation ( 2.3.12) under a different Act (Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction of Sales Act) and continues the ban on non-iodised salt thereby.

Terming these actions as an attempt to usurp the judicial power by the executive, the petitioners have now filed a contempt petition against the Health Secretary for violating the Court's directions in which it has issued notice on 20th Sep. 2013. All these facts have raised some serious questions about the motive of the state behind banning and prohibiting the use of non-iodised salt. For the colonialist, it was salt which forwarded them towards occupying the whole country. Eminent historian Roy Moxham reveals that there are historical remains of a fence of about 2500 miles in India (including Pakistan) built by the British.

Most worrisome thing in this matter is that salt is never included while discussing inflation. A question was asked in Rajya Sabha (RS) on 10 July 1998 that iodised salt is 10 times costlier than common salt. The govt. replied thatmarket price of common salt is Rs. 2 to 4 per kg. and iodised salt is Rs. 6 per Kg.

21st Oct. is celebrated as iodine Day and iodised salt is introduced as a cure-all. Companies involved in selling of iodised salt promote their advertisements in such a way that consumption of it actually helps speed up the brain.

Such more advertisements warn you that deficiency of iodine can cause goitre and dullness of mind. Contrary to it, when Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences, an institute related to the Indian Defence Ministry, studied over use of iodised salt, it found that before 20 years, those diseases, which were challenged to be eradicated after using iodine, still persist. The study was conducted in 16 cities among 39,000 children.

Goitre was the main disease which has been presented as a promo in the crusade against common salt. Advertisements related to it were so ugly that they caused fear more than enlightenment. INMAS report clearly indicates that iodised salt is not necessary. This clearly indicates that how this matter of salt is being played according to the global politics and globalization.

There was a time when green revolution was purported as a very beneficial program and at that time people were bewildered talking about the long term side effects of it. But today, everybody is making emphasis on organic farming. It is high time that both iodised and non-iodised salt be allowed to co-exist as is the trend in the developed countries. Only then can there be effective competition between iodised and non-iodised salt producers leading to improvement of its quality, increase in supply of salt in the market and bringing its price at reasonable levels to provide the utmost relief to the masses. In such a situation no one can create an artificial scarcity of salt and hike its price by rumors or otherwise.

1.15 tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes seized

Food Safety Officials on Wednesday seized 1.15 tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes from several shops here.

Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing) Designated Officer

R. Kathiravan said that raids were conducted at 10 wholesale markets at Ukkadam and five retail shops in Gandhipuram.

Of these, five markets at Ukkadam and a shop in Gandhipuram were found selling artificially ripened mangoes. Further, around 50 kg of calcium carbide stones were seized from a grocery shop in Ukkadam fish market. The shop owners have been warned of stringent action if they indulged in such activities again.

A team comprising Food Safety Officers – K . Chandran, R. Govindarajan, S. Gerald Sathiapunithan, R. Rajendran, K. Suruli and S. Velusamy – conducted the raid. The mangoes would be buried at the Corporation Compost Yard at Vellalore. Such raids would continue in the future as well, he added.

DINAMALAR NEWS

'Veggies full of river toxins'

NEW DELHI: It's not just pesticides-a toxic mix of sewage and industrial effluents may be contaminating what's grown on the bed of the Yamuna. The quality of the fruits and vegetables-that feed most of Delhi's population-may thus stand severely compromised, according to two 

applications filed in Delhi high court and National Green Tribunal, one pleading for a ban on artificial colours and waxing of produce and the other dwelling on how the river's pollution is risking the lives of people who eat greens grown on its soil.

The department of food safety, Delhi, too, recently released an advertisement asking consumers to clean their fruits and vegetables in various solutions to do away with chemical residue.

Several consignments of fruit and vegetable exports from India have been rejected for quality issues in the recent past-the European Union banning the import of mangoes and four vegetables starting May 1 after fruit flies were detected in 207 consignments. Even Saudi Arabia banned import of Indian chillis earlier this month due to presence of high pesticide residues.

The recent plea in NGT by Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan suggests large scalepollution of Yamuna from industrial effluents and sewage that has led to groundwater pollution and soil pollution. Vegetables irrigated by this contaminated water are laced with heavy metals and chemical residues, the application says. It quotes various studies including a 2012 The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) study that found the level of toxic metals like nickel, lead, manganese, chromium and zinc high in many water samples. At one locations, lead levels were 10 times more than those anywhere else in the river and at another location near a thermal power plant, mercury concentration was about 200 times more than United States Environmental Protection Agency standard.

It also quotes a 2012 study by National Reference Trace Organics Laboratory and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with the environment ministry that found Lindane, a carcinogenic insecticide in Yamuna water. RTI revelations from 2013 of the amount of the sewage and industrial effluents discharged in the river from a number of cities upstream have also been submitted.

The application seeks NGT implead CPCBCentral Pollution Control Board as a respondent in the case and direct CPCB or the state pollution control board to prepare a report on what action must be taken to stop this sort of contamination.

"Vegetables contaminated with such toxins can impact normal health quite seriously. It can cause a range of conditions including cancers, heart disease, brain, kidney and liver diseases, muscle and general weakness," Dr SP Byotra, head of internal medicine at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said.

Activist Manoj Misra, who filed the application, said it that the application shouldn't be misunderstood as a complaint against farmers. "The application is not against farmers. They have no choice but to use polluted water. It is the fault of pollution agencies and industries who failed to control it," said Misra.

The other application in HC says the department of food safety in Delhi is doing nothing about polished food grains and coloured vegetables and fruits containing hazardous substances that are being sold in wholesale and retail outlets. Ananthoo, coordinator of a civil society group on food safety, said "middlemen and retailers usually inject colours in fruits like watermelon and pomegranate. Waxing of apples is also common around the country where petroleum-based wax is used ". Waxing is usually done to retard shrinkage and make the produce appear fresh.

FDA shuts down food processing units in Navelim, Sao Jose de Areal

MARGAO: The director for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Salim Veljee, on Tuesday, informed that two food processing units were shut down in Navelim and Sao Jose de Areal for manufacturing food items without food safety licences thereby violating the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and rules and regulation 2011.

“The owners are directed not to start any food related activities until they obtain necessary food safety licences from the FDA. They are further asked to ensure that food articles are manufactured and marketed only after affixing proper labels containing all particulars like packed date, best before use, name and address of the manufacturers, food safety license of the manufacturer as well as the nutritional claims of such food articles,” he stated.

Veljee said that the food safety officers of the FDA, Abel Rodrigues, Shailesh Shenvi, Rajaram Patil and Shivdas Naik intercepted three cycle vendors at Navelim, Salcete, who were carrying un-labelled food articles for distribution to various gadas, bar and restaurants, etc.

The officers, based on the clues from these cyclists reached at thepremises of the manufacturer Ramesh Devar at Colmorod-Navelim, Salcete. Ramesh was found engaged in processing kurkure, ground nuts, etc. in an un-hygienic condition and the food products also did not carrying any label declaration, Veljee said adding, the said premises was also found operating without any valid food safety licenses. 

Stock of food items worth Rs 20,000 was seized by the officials and subsequently destroyed in the presence of the owner, the FDA director said.

He further informed that the FDA officers later inspected a manufacturing unit belonging to Suresh Choudhary of M/s Choudhary Food Products at Comba, Sao Jose de Areal. “Suresh too was engaged in processing foodarticles like shev, arsan, chips, shankerpadi and laddos without holding any valid food safety licenses and the said food articles did not contain any labels or other declarations which are misbranded under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Rules/regulation 2011, Veljee said adding that the confiscated food items are collectively worth Rs 1.60 lakh which was later destroyed in the presence of the owner.

Address economically-motivated adulteration of ingredients: USP to FDA

The United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) submitted a public comment letter to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), urging it to reconsider its strategy to address economically-modified adulteration (EMA) of food ingredients. The letter highlighted the specific risks posed by the intentional and fraudulent adulteration of food ingredients for economic gain.

“Economically-motivated adulteration of food ingredients is a significant concern, with its own challenges, posing a threat to public safety, eroding consumer confidence in the integrity of food and disrupting markets by placing control of the supply chain in the hands of criminals,” said Ronald Piervincenzi, chief executive officer, USP. He suggested that EMA be addressed as its own unique category of food adulteration. 

USP recommended that FDA consider a framework tailored to the specific nature of EMA. While the former agreed that it was not ideal to handle EMA under a typical food-defence/vulnerability approach, it stated that EMA would be equally misplaced under preventive controls.

The suggested approach would include a vulnerability assessment, mostly focussed on determining the likelihood of EMA occurring, but also including a component of public health risk assessment. A second component would be a vulnerability control plan to mitigate these risks. 

“Any food ingredient can be adulterated, and the list of potential adulterants is equally unlimited. The best way to protect consumers and safeguard industry is to focus on determining where EMA is most likely to occur,” said Piervincenzi

“Publicly available standards can also help safeguard against adulteration of food ingredients by helping assure food integrity and excluding ingredients that have been substituted, diluted or replaced, through fraud or other means,” he added. 

USP highlighted the wide array of concerns related to EMA of food adulteration. These include:

Dilution: Examples include the dilution of olive oil with potentially toxic tea-tree oil or products watered down using non-potable water

Substitution: Examples include the partial substitution of sunflower oil with mineral oil or hydrolysed leather protein in milk

Concealment: An example is the application of harmful food colouring to fresh fruit to cover defects

Mislabelling: Examples include the labelling of toxic Japanese star anise as Chinese star anise or the mislabelling of recycled cooking oil 

USP offers free public resources, including a food fraud database and plans to develop additional tools.

தொடரும் "கார்பைடு கல்' மாம்பழ விற்பனை: ஆபத்தை உணராத பொதுமக்கள்

சென்னை கோயம்பேடு மார்க்கெட்டில் விற்பனைக்கு குவிக்கப்பட்டுள்ள மாம்பழங்கள்.

கோயம்பேடு மார்க்கெட்டில் மாங்காய்களை பழுக்க வைக்க பெட்டியில் அடுக்கி வைக்கும் பணியார்கள்கள்.

சென்னை கோயம்பேடு மார்க்கெட்டில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகளின் அறிவுறுத்தலையும் பொருள்படுத்தாமல், தொடர்ந்து கார்பைடு கல் வைத்து பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்ட மாம்பழங்களை வியாபாரிகள் விற்பனை செய்து வருகின்றனர். 

இது போன்ற ரசாயன கல் வைத்து பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்ட மாம்பழங்களை உண்பவர்களுக்கு நரம்புத் தளர்ச்சி, சிறுநீரக பாதிப்பு உள்ளிட்டவை ஏற்பட வாய்ப்புள்ளது என டாக்டர்கள் எச்சரித்துள்ளனர். 

மாம்பழங்களில் மல்கோவா, செந்துறை, பங்கணப்பள்ளி, நீலம், ஒட்டு உள்ளிட்டவற்றை பலரும் அதிகம் விரும்பி சாப்பிடுகின்றனர்.

மாம்பழத்தில் உள்ள சத்துக்களும் ஏராளம். அதே நேரத்தில் கார்பைடு கல் வைத்து பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்ட மாம்பழங்கள் மக்களின் உடல் நலனுக்கு அச்சுறுத்தலாக உள்ளது. கடந்த சில வாரங்களுக்கு முன் தொடங்கிய மாம்பழ சீசன் விற்பனை இப்போது சூடுபிடித்துள்ளது. இந்நிலையில் கோயம்பேடு மார்கெட்டில் விற்பனை செய்யப்படும் பெரும்பாலான மாம்பழங்கள், கார்பைடு கல் வைத்து பழுக்க வைக்கப்படுகின்றன. 

தினந்தோறும் 100 டன் முதல் 150 டன் வரையிலான மாம்பழங்கள் கோயம்பேடு மார்க்கெட்டுக்கு விற்பனைக்காக கொண்டு வரப்படுகின்றன.

இங்கு கொண்டு வரப்படும் மாம்பழங்கள் அனைத்தும் பழுக்காத நிலையில், காயாகத்தான் வருகின்றன. அதைத் தொடர்ந்து, கார்பைடு கல் வைக்கப்பட்டு அந்த மாங்காய்கள் அனைத்தும் பழுக்க வைக்கப்படுகின்றன. காயாக வரும் அவற்றை அப்படியே சிறு சிறு பெட்டிகளில் அடுக்கி கார்பைடு கல் சேர்த்து வைத்து விடுகின்றனர். பின்னர் இரண்டு நாள் கழித்து பழமாக மாறிய உடன் அது விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது. கார்பைடு கல் வைத்து பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் மாம்பழங்கள் பார்ப்பதற்கு அழகாக இருக்கும். ஆனால் அவை உடல் நலனுக்கு தீங்கு விளைவிக்கக் கூடியவை என்கின்றனர் டாக்டர்கள். 

இது குறித்து சென்னை அரசு ராஜீவ்காந்தி மருத்துவமனை பொது மருத்துவ டாக்டர் ரகுநந்தன் கூறியது: கார்பைடு கல் என்பது மனித உடலுக்கு ஒவ்வாத பொருளாகும். இதனால், ஒவ்வாமை போன்றவை எற்படுவதுடன் வயிற்று வலி, வயிற்றுப் போக்கு, வாந்தி உள்ளிட்ட பல்வேறு பாதிப்புகள் ஏற்படவும் வாய்ப்புள்ளது. 

அதேபோல், கார்பைடு கல் கொண்டு பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் பழங்களைத் தொடர்ந்து சாப்பிடுபவர்களுக்கு நரம்புத் தளர்ச்சி, சிறுநீரக பாதிப்பு மற்றும் மன நிலை பாதிப்பு போன்ற நோய்களும் ஏற்பட வாய்ப்புள்ளது. 

இப்போது கல் வைத்து பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்ட பழங்களுக்கும், சாதாரண பழத்திற்கும் இடையே வித்தியாசம் கண்டுபிடிக்க முடியாத அளவுக்கு இரண்டும் ஒரே மாதிரி இருப்பதால், பொதுமக்கள் விழிப்புணர்வுடன் இருப்பதுதான் சிறந்தது என்றார் டாக்டர் ரகுநந்தன். 

இது குறித்து உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை சென்னை மாவட்ட நியமன அதிகாரி லஷ்மி நாராயணன் கூறியது: மாம்பழ சீசன் தொடங்கியதிலிருந்து சென்னை கோயம்பேடு மார்க்கெட்டில் இது வரை 6 முறை சோதனை நடத்தப்பட்டுள்ளன. இதில், கார்பைடு கல் வைத்து பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்ட சுமார் 2,500 கிலோ எடையுள்ள மாம்பழங்கள் கைப்பற்றப்பட்டு, பாதுகாப்பாக அழிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. அதேபோல், இந்த மாம்பழம் பழுக்க வைக்க பயன்படுத்தப்படும் கார்பைடு கல், சுமார் 150 கிலோ எடை வரை கைப்பற்றப்பட்டுள்ளது. 

இதை தொடர்ந்து, அங்குள்ள வியாபாரிகளுக்கு கார்பைடு கல் வைத்து பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் பழங்களை உண்பதால் ஏற்படும் பாதிப்புகள் குறித்தும் விளக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன என்றார்.

இது போன்று எச்சரிக்கை விடுத்தாலும் கார்பைடு கல்லைக் கொண்டு மாம்பழங்களை பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பனை செய்வோர் மீது அதிகாரிகள் கடுமையான நடவடிக்கைகள் எடுக்க வேண்டும் என சமூக ஆர்வலர்கள் வலியுறுத்தியுள்ளனர். 

கண்டறிவது எப்படி?

கார்பைடு கல் வைத்து பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் மாம்பழங்களுக்கும் சாதாரணமாக பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் மாம்பழங்களுக்கும் உள்ள வித்தியாசத்தை கண்டறிய உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள் சில யோசனைகளை கூறியுள்ளனர். அவற்றின் விவரம்:

"கார்பைடு' பழத்தின் வெளியே தெரியும் வித்தியாசங்கள்:

1. வெளித் தோற்றத்துக்கு மாம்பழம் முழுவதும் நல்ல மஞ்சள் நிறத்தில் இருக்கும்.

2. மாம்பழத்தின் மீது சாம்பல் பூத்தது போல் இருக்கும்.

3. பழத்தின் தோலில் சிறு சிறு கரும்புள்ளிகள் இருக்கும்.

"கார்பைடு' பழத்தின் உள்ளே தெரியும் வித்தியாசங்கள்: 

1. பழத்தின் உள்ளே சதைப்பகுதியின் மேல் மஞ்சள் நிறத்திலும், உள்பகுதியில் வெள்ளை அல்லது லேசான மஞ்சள் நிறத்திலும் இருக்கும்.

2. சுவை குறைவாக இருக்கும்.

3. பழத்தில் சாறு குறைவாக இருக்கும்.

2 food manufacturing units near Margao shut down by FDA

MARGAO: Two manufacturing units near Navelim and Sao Jose de Areal were shut down by the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Tuesday and food items worth 1,80,000 combined were seized and later destroyed in the presence of the owners. 

FDA officials during raids in the morning found that Devar at Colmorod, Navelim, and Choudhary Food Products at Comba, near Sao Jose de Areal, were allegedly engaged in manufacturing foodarticles sans labels and their respective premises did not have the food safety licence as required under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, rules/regulations 2011. 

Food safety officers Abel Rodrigues, Shailesh Shenvi, Rajaram Patil and Shivdas Naik first intercepted three cyclist-vendors at Navelim, who were carrying unlabeled food articles for distribution to gadas, bars and restaurants. 

After interrogating the cyclists and with their assistance, the officers landed at the office of Ramesh Devar at Colmorod and found his unit engaged in manufacturing munchies under unhygienic conditions, sans any labels and without a safety licence for the premises. A similar scene was at Comba. 

"Stocks of food articles worth 1,80,000 were seized and confiscated by the officials and then subsequently destroyed in the presence of the owners," said FDA director Salim Veljee.

Get milk tested on your doorstep

Ludhiana, May 13

Residents can get their milk tested at the Dairy Development Board’s office at Model Town, near Chatar Singh Park. If you are a group of 40 persons from a locality, then a team from the board will collect samples from your doorstep.

“We regularly collect milk samples from different localities. Those residents, who want to get milk tested, can visit the office. If there are 40 samples from a locality, a team from the board will visit the locality to collect samples. For multiple samples, one can call up at 0161-2400223,” said Santokh Singh, District Inspector, Dairy Development Board.

Today, a team of the board collected 39 samples from Joshi Nagar, of which 16 were found adulterated with water. The water content in these samples was between 3 and 36 per cent. No chemical adulteration was found, said Jaswinder Singh, Senior Development Officer.

There are around 13 solid contents in pure milk, 4.5 per cent fat, 8.5 per cent solid non-fat with 3.5 per cent protein, 4.9 per cent lactose and .8 per cent minerals. Around 83-87 percent is natural fluid. In adulterated milk, most of the times the total solid content is only around 3-4 per cent and the fluid content goes up to 92-93 per cent.

Experts take

Intake of adulterated milk can lead to a stunted growth in children below one year of age while in older ones it can cause problems like diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach infections.

JMC books 8 under COTP Act

JAMMU: While continuing drive against, smoking in public places and polythene carry bags, the team of Health and Sanitation wing of Jammu Municipal Corporation under the supervision of Health Officer JMC, Dr. Mohammad Saleem Khan inspected various food establishments and seized about 19 kgs of polythene carry bags and realized Rs. 8,300 as fine from the defaulters. The team also booked eight persons under COTP Act 2003 and a fine of Rs. 800 was realised from the defaulters.

On the directions of Commissioner JMC, Kiran Wattal, the teams inspected various food establishments like hotel, restaurants, provisional stores, food stalls, vegetable vendors at Maheshpura Chowk, Mahesh Pura Sabzi Mandi, K.C Morh, Rehari Colony, Railway Road, Trikuta Naga and Panama Chowk.

Moreover, the team lifted two different kind of food samples i.e. Tomato Ketchup (Kissan brand) and Refined Soyabin Oil from Rehari Colony and sent to Food Analyst Jammu for analysis.

The JMC Health Officer, Dr. Mohammad Saleem Khan appealed to all theFood Business Operators not to sell any type of unhygienic food items not conforming to prescribed quality and standards which can put the public health to danger, otherwise stringent action under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 shall be taken against the defaulters.

Moreover, all the Food Business operators dealing with milk and milk products are strictly warned not to sell adulterated milk and milk products.

Court orders release of Starbucks’ syrups’ consignment

The Bombay High Court has ordered the customs department of Nhava Sheva port to release a consignment of syrups belonging to Tata Starbucks Limited, which had been lying at the port since February this year.

The company had approached the court after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) refused to grant No Objection Certificate (NOC) to release the consignment.

The court observed that the Food Safety and Standards Authority had acted in an “arbitrary and capricious manner” by detaining the goods.

Starbucks had argued that it had been importing the syrups since 2012 without any glitch.

The authorities said that the consignment of Starbucks does not confirm to the syrup category, and hence cannot be passed.

“We are of the view that the stand taken by the Respondents (FSSAI) is self contradictory. On the one hand, Respondents have in terms stated that the product which is imported by the Petitioner does not fall under category 2.3.24 (syrup) and, on the other hand, they have not cleared the goods on the ground that it does not conform to the said category under 2.3.34,” the order passed by Justices V.M. Kanade and A.K. Menon last week stated.

Starbucks had pleaded that the goods were perishable in nature and had shelf life only till August/ November 2014. It said that the goods confirmed the category of other food items of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Tata Starbucks operate around 43 cafes throughout the country, serving speciality coffees, beverages and other items.

Mangoes worth nearly Rs2cr destroyed in Mumbai

Mumbai: The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has confiscated and destroyed 26,000 kg of artificially ripened mangoes worth Rs 1.93 crore in the past one month. The state body found clandestine godowns on the highways or fringes of cities being used to ripen the mangoes usingcalcium carbide. 

Many farmers had urged Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar recently to stall the FDA crackdown. Pawar's office is believed to have spoken to the FDA. 

The FDA said on Monday that the mangoes were to be supplied to Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Navi Mumbai, Akola and Aurangabad. Food safety officers sought permission from municipal corporations and dumped the mangoes, before destroying them with compactors. 

"The use of calcium carbide to ripen fruits is a violation of the Food Safety and Standards Act. It is a known carcinogen and can have far-reaching health effects," FDA commissioner Mahesh Zagade said. Food safety officers have been speaking to farmers and mango traders for three years, educating them about the hazards of artificially ripening mangoes, he said. 

Calcium carbide is the commonest chemical agent used to ripen mangoes. "The carbide gas that emanates from calcium carbide is used to ripen mangoes. It is a serious threat to health as it also contains traces of phosphorus and arsenic. Carbide is actually used in welding works," said joint commissioner S S Kale. He added that the trucks carrying mangoes are parked outside warehouses for two days, when the mangoes are sprayed and then sent to various places. 

Zagade said the onus to recognize naturally ripened fruits also lies on citizens. "Artificially ripened mangoes will not have wrinkles," he said.

Over 23,000 kg mangoes went to dumping yard last month

SUMMARY

The use of Calcium Carbide has become rampant with traders wishing to ripe mangoes within 48 hours instead of waiting for a week or so

Traders mixing Calcium Carbide in the king of fruits — Mangoes — have become a reason to give fans of this seasonal fruit a pang of pain. In the past month (that is April 1-May 4), the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had to destroy a whopping 23, 678 kg of mangoes worth Rs 11.85 lakh after it found godowns full of mango boxes containing Calcium Carbide packets stacked against the fruit.

Kamlesh Sankhe, joint commissioner of food at FDA, said, “Food safety officers have permission to destroy such fruits as soon as they find that artificial ripening agents have been used. We made thorough inspections in all godowns before seizing them. These mangoes are then emptied in a dumping ground and crushed so that they cannot be accidentally consumed.”

Sankhe said permission from the local municipal corporation has to be sought before destroying the mangoes in the dumping ground. “In Mumbai, we first took permission from BMC and then used the dumping grounds to crush all the mangoes,” he said. A truck is used to squash all the mangoes under the wheels later.

As per data gathered from the FDA, 40 varieties of mangoes were scrutinised for traces of this chemical across the state. Maximum seizures were done from Pune and Akola where around 9,000 kg of mangoes belonging to nine different varieties were found with Calcium Carbide, also known as ‘masala’. In Aurangabad, Thane and Mumbai too, large consignments of mangoes were destroyed.

The use of Calcium Carbide has become rampant with traders wishing to ripe mangoes within 48 hours instead of waiting for a week or so.

Dissolved in water, this chemical produces acetylene gas that acts as an artificial ripening agent. Mahesh Zagade, FDA commissioner, said, “Calcium Carbide does not actually ripen the mangoes. It just changes the colour to a uniform yellow and lends an appealing look to the buyer.”

Acetylene is believed to affect the nervous system by reducing oxygen supply to the brain. Sankhe said it can cause memory loss, mouth ulcer and even cancer if consumed in large quantities.

Zagade recently held meetings with various traders in the state and urged them to avoid the use of the chemical under the Food Safety and Standards Acts, 2006

Mangoes seized, destroyed

The FDA today seized mangoes worth Rs 5000 from a fruit vendor Curchorem for artificially ripening the fruits, officials said.

Food Safety Officers team of Abel Rodrigues, Priya Desai and Niranjan Naik seized the fruits from Sultan Kachur’s go-down at Priti apartment, near the Curchorem railway station.

The mangoes were artificial ripened using Chemical Ethopon, which is an chemical used as Plant Growth Regulator. However, since the ripening is done artificially using Chemicals, FDA destroyed the mangoes. The mangoes have been dumped at the Cacora garbage site.

“This is to only to send a loud and clear message that no ripening of fruits using chemicals will be allowed or tolerated by FDA,” FDA Director Salim Veljee said.

Yesterday the FDA seized and destroyed Rs 1.5 lakh worth of Alphonso mangoes as retailers and wholesalers race to get better rates from the market putting consumers at risk in their bid for a quick buck

Hotels in State Blatantly Flout Cleanliness Norms

At a time when 418 of the 753 bars in the State remain closed after the Comptroller and AuditorGeneral (CAG) found that they were not having the minimum cleanliness standard, data on the standard of hygiene followed by hotels in the State have come as a shocker.

The data was collected by filing a Right To Information (RTI) application to the State Food Safety Commissioner’s Office.

The application was filed in February last year to know about the 30 guidelines on food safety, to be followed by the hotels in the State under the Food Safety and Standards Act - 2011. The application was filed in the wake of the death of a person on July 10, 2012, after eating‘shavarma’ from a hotel in Thiruvananthapuram.

The then Joint Food Safety Commissioner K Anil Kumar, who is now the Food Safety Commissioner in-charge, forwarded the RTI application, filed by human rights activist P B Satheesh of Mannuthy in Thrissur, to the assistant commissioners (food safety) who are in charge of checking food safety in each of the 14 districts and ensuring that the guidelines are followed.

The consolidated district-wise data received so far by the applicant from the assistant commissioners in seven districts and from the food inspectors of various circles in the other districts clearly show that not even one per cent of the hotels in the State, registered as per the government rules, are following the 30-point guidelines, instructed through a circular on July 25, 2012 by the then Food and Safety Commissioner Biju Prabhakar.

“I got the district-wise data through the assistant food safety commissioners of seven districts, while the rest of the data came from the food inspectors looking after each circle (tantamount to an Assembly constituency in the State). As per the data I received through the RTI reply, the total number of registered hotels in the State is 1,85,390, of which only 1,461 are following the 30-point guidelines. This is only 0.79 per cent of the total registered hotels” Satheesh said. The 30-point guidelines mainly give instructions regarding the distance between the drainage andtoilets and the kitchen of the hotels, drainage water getting logged near the kitchen, cleanliness of the kitchen, and proper freezing facilities to preserve raw food items etc. 

Official Version

K Anil Kumar, the State Food Safety Commissioner in-charge, told ‘Express’ that it was a laborious task to implement the Central Government’s Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act-2011.

According to him, the data consolidated through the RTI application might be for only those hotels where the food safety officers conducted inspection.

“Besides that, the Central Government has extended the deadline for hotels and restaurants to get licence by complying with the FSS Act until August 2014. Moreover, there is a possibility of the new government that comes to power at the centre extending the deadline further,” he said.

“But, compared to some of the other states in the country, like Tamil Nadu, the food safety officials in Kerala have taken a far better effort to implement the Act,” he claimed. On the 30-point guidelines, he said that he was not sure about the need for such a circular, while the Act itself was getting implemented.

B Satheesh, who filed the RTI application, said that even around three years after the Act was implemented, the government was still waiting for another person to die for strictly implementing the rules. “Even the district-wise data I received from seven assistant commissioners of food safety clearly show that only nine per cent of the hotels, in half of the districts in the State, have got the licence as per the FSS Act- 2011,” he said.

‘ready to implement the FSS Act’

Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association general secretary Jose Mohan said they have rejected the 30-point guidelines. “We are ready to implement the FSS Act - 2011. We have moved the High Court for changing some of the provision in the Act. We have asked all the 1.25 lakh members of our association to implement the Act, except some non-viable provisions in it. We will give membership to those having either FSSA licence or the licence given by the civic bodies concerned,” he said.

UT ADMIN ISSUES NEW GUIDELINES UNDER FOOD SAFETY & STANDARDS ACT

In a major decision, the UT Administration has decided not to renew or register the licences under Food Safety & Standards Act 2006 of the premises outside Lal Dora. The UT Administration on Monday issued new guidelines for issuance of licence and registration under FSS Act, 2006.

According to the guidelines, no premises outside Lal Dora (Abadi-Deh) will be issued any licence/registration. Also, no renewal of licence/registration of premises which fall outside Lal Dora will be done even if they have been issued food licences/registration under FSS Act, 2006 or PFA Act.

At present, a large number of shops are running in the areas developed illegally outside the Lal Dora. And, the new guidelines adopted by the UT Administration are likely to lead to closure of these food outlets running outside the Lal Dora area here.

“For the renewal of licence, satisfactory proof of possession is required. However, in absence for the same, an affidavit on prescribed format is to be furnished as proof of possession,” said the new guidelines. The date of validity of registration/license will be from the date of issue of registration/license and not from the date of application.

“A no objection certificate from Chandigarh Housing Board, UT Estate Officer and Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh is required to be submitted for the issuance of food license if the food business operator (FBOs) is running business in residential premises, basements, SCF & SCR (except ground floor),” stated the guidelines.

The rules have been issued under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. All FBOs are required to obtain a food license for all conversions, renewals, new licences and registrations every year. According to the Food Safety Act, operating a food business without a licence or registration will attract a penalty up to Rs5 lakh and imprisonment up to six months.

Gutkha worth Rs.4 lakh seized

Continuing its crackdown against the illegal trade of banned tobacco products, officers of the Thane (Rural) police, in a joint operation with officials from the Food and Drug Department of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC), seized a consignment of gutkha worth more than Rs.4 lakh from a shop in the Naya Nagar area of Mira Road (East), late on Saturday night. One person has been arrested.

Deputy Superintendent Chandrakant Joshi had recently issued standing instructions to personnel of all five police stations to keep a tab on illegal trade and storing of the banned products. 

According to the police, following a tip-off on a huge consignment of banned gutkha and other tobacco products being stocked in a shop in Pooja Nagar, a joint team led by API Prafful Wagh and MBMC Food Inspector Manek Jadhav, raided a shop in Matru Darshan building on Saturday night, and confiscated a consignment comprising thousands of sachets of gutkha, pan-masala and scented tobacco of various brands including Goa, Rocket, Pan-Vilas, Vimal and Rajshri. 

The estimated value of the seized consignment, which is said to be more than Rs.4 lakh, was meant for distribution in and around the twin-city. The police have arrested the owner of the shop identified as Azim Ahmed Shaikh (35) in this connection. A case under sections 488, 272, 273 and 328 of the Indian Penal Code and under the relevant regulations of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 has been registered at the Mira Road police station. Further investigations are on.

High Court relief for Tata Starbucks as release of syrups get nod

In a relief to Tata Starbucks Company, the Bombay high court directed the customs department at Nhava Sheva port to release a consignment of flavoured syrups used by the coffee chain to prepare its beverages. Imported from USA, the consignment was stopped at the port after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India refused to grant a No Objection Certificate (NOC).

In its order, a division bench of justices VM Kanade and AK Menon, allowed the company to take the consignment which has already arrived and is kept at the port. "In our view, instead of complying with the provisions of the Act and Rules and Regulations framed thereunder, they have acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner and detained the goods of the petitioner (Starbucks)."

Starbucks is a joint venture company of Tata Global Beverages Limited and Emerald City CV, which is an affiliate of Starbucks Corporation, USA. The company operates Starbucks Cafes in which speciality coffees, coffee beverages and other items are sold in India. Around 43 such cafes are in operation all over the country.

The consignment was stopped at the port in February after the authority claimed that the flavoured syrups did not meet the requirements laid down under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011.

Appearing for the company, senior counsel Iqbal Chagla argued that the syrups do not contain 65 per cent of soluble solids and thus is a proprietary food (a food that has not been standardised under these regulations) under the category, and since it is used as an additive in flavoured beverages it is not sold to the consumers directly. Thus, the regulations would not apply to the product.

It was also argued that the company has been importing these products since July 2012 and they have been cleared for almost two years. After February 2014, all the consignments have been detained at the port.

Appearing for the authority, advocate Mohammed Pracha argued: "The regulations are formed to avoid dumping of sub-standard goods into India and thus causing a health hazard to the public at large."

The court, however, observed, "It is not stated by the respondents that these products are unsafe for human consumption. It is also an admitted position that in respect of number of proprietary foods, no standard has yet been fixed by them."

Food inspector suspended

Hisar, May 11

The Food and Supplies Department has suspended an inspector following an inquiry report indicating irregularities in granting licences for fair price shops in villages of Hisar. 

Reports say a departmental inquiry has found that 68 licences for ration depots under the Public Distribution System had been granted in violation of the Haryana Public Distribution System (Control) Order 2009. 

Following the report, the department had suspended Hisar inspector Krishan Kumar. The suspension order stated that his headquarters would be Rohtak during the period of his suspension.

District Food and Supplies Commissioner Dr Ghanshyam said the ration depots were granted licences as per the requirement and approval by the Hisar district administration. He denied any wrongdoing in granting the licences.

96% water samples fail test in Faridabad

Faridabad, May 11

The quality of drinking water in Faridabad has deteriorated, with 96 per cent of samples taken last month having failed the test. This is the second time this year that over 95 per cent samples have failed. In February, 98 per cent samples had failed. 

Sources said the Health Department took 208 samples from various sources in the district last month, 201 of which failed the test. The test focused on chlorination and did not cover brackishness and fluoride content. Samples taken from 120 tube wells in Panhera Khurd were found to be unfit for human consumption.

Samples were taken from tube wells in Palla, Ballabgarh and Kheri Kalan, where the quality of water was poor mainly due to high fluoride content. As many as 163 of the 165 samples of potable water taken from various areas of the town were found to be unfit for human consumption in February.

The authorities seemed helpless even though there was acute shortage of water in the town due to delay of the Ranneywell project, said Satish Kumar, a local resident. The municipal corporation did not have the right to impose water charges due to the failure to supply clean drinking water, said KL Gera, a social activist.

When contacted, the Deputy CMO said the failure of a large number of water samples was an issue of concern. He said the number of samples taken each month could vary and the water sample failure rate was 80 per cent in over a year. He said the information was given to the Public Health Department and the municipal corporation.

FDA seizes mangoes ripened chemically

MARGAO: A team of food safety officers from theFood and drugs administration (FDA) seized artificially-ripened mangoes worth 5,000 from a fruit vendor at Curchorem on Sunday.

The team; comprising Abel Rodrigues, Priya Desai and Niranjan Naik; confiscated the fruit fromSultan Kachur, a vendor who was operating from his godown near Curchorem railway station, FDA officials said.

Mangoes had been artificially ripened using a chemical called 'Ethopon', which is used as a plant growth regulator by agriculturists. It is illegal to ripen fruit using chemicals, even those approved for use in farming.

FDA has destroyed the stock and prevented it from going into the market.

All such mangoes are sent to the Cacora garbage site. FDA director Salim Veljee said that it was not possible to test fruit for chemicals as the powder tends to wear off quickly. "Unless, we catch the culprits red-handed with the chemicals, we cannot make seizures," he said.

Milk samples taken

Jalandhar, May 11

The Health Department took samples of milk from seven places in the city early this morning. On the directions of RL Bassan, Civil Surgeon, a team comprising Dr Balwinder Singh, district health officer, and Dr Harjot Pal, food safety officer, raided the premises of various milk vendors at around 5.30 am in Urban Estate Ph-II, Pholriwal, Jamsher Road and took milk samples. According to the raiding team, the sampling was done as a precautionary measure, as the same team had found lots of materials to make synthetic milk from a house in Talhan village on Saturday. The results of the samples are expected to come within a fortnight.

VFPCK to install mobile fruit ripening chambers in 16 Palakkad outlets

The Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) is setting up mobile ethylene ripening chambers at sixteen of its retail chains in Palakkad district. These would later be set up in other parts of the southern state as per convenience.

Palakkad is among the leading producers of mangoes in the southern state. These units would be set up primarily to cater to mangoes and bananas, but VFPCK eventually plans to establish mobile chambers for other fruit and vegetables as well.

This is being undertaken to combat artificial ripening of fruit and the adverse impact of using calcium carbide on health. The chemical is rampantly being used by farmers, agents and traders to protect the fruit against damage, which commonly occurs in transit and at the retail outlets.

It is summer, a season when large quantities of fruit get damaged. Moreover, currently there is no alternative for the commercial transportation of fruit, so small-scale farmers have been seeking the help of the government.

VFPCK collects fruit and vegetables from small-scale farmers to facilitate large-scale retail distribution. That is a profitable method. Retail centres used traditional ripening methods for fruit and vegetables, but continuous damage and the use of calcium carbide made the council opt for an alternative.

Ripening mangoes and bananas using ethylene is one of the safest methods to ripen the fruit. With this method, it is expected that per kg, mangoes would cost Re 1 more than their current price, but the quality of the fruit would be higher.

Arun Kumar, district manager, Palakkad, VFPCK, said, “The installation is in its final stage. Within 10-15 days, it would be able to facilitate its 16 retail centres with ethylene ripening chambers. The council’s self-help groups (SHG) discussed the issue of damage and artificial ripening of fruit.”

“We conducted a number of awareness campaigns against the use of calcium carbide for artificial ripening of fruit and vegetables. But we had to find an alternative for this and protect the fruit from damage and sell quality fruit. The installation of mobile ethylene chambers is expected to have a positive impact on the mango and banana markets,” he added.

Move on oil sale poses challenges

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India bans sale of coconut oil in loose form.

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has banned the sale of coconut oil in loose form after complaints of adulteration came up before it. Sale of coconut oil will be permitted only in packaged form, conforming to standards set by the authority. The decision is bound to have an impact in the edible oil market.

The new move could hit daily wage earners and the marginal sections of society who depend on a meagre income and do not purchase commodities and store them. In fact, the loose sale of oil caters to such people. The adherence to the new directive will put them at the receiving end unless steps are taken to provide the packaged form of edible oil to them at affordable rates.

With the steep rise in prices of copra and coconut oil, the arrival of the commodity from Tamil Nadu had been under monitoring. Coconut oil was traded in Ernakulam at Rs.15,700 per quintal on Friday, almost double the rates which the commodity had been sold a year ago. Adulteration had been established on a few occasions at the checkposts and some consignments were sent back after the samples reportedly failed the standard tests prescribed by the authority.

With no signs of the prices falling down, the market will continue to face strain from inadequate availability and a tendency for sale of the commodity in non-packaged form. It will be a hard task for the authorities to find out the violations. On the other hand, the FSSAI move would send a clear message to the sellers who indulge in adulteration.

Cochin Oil Merchants Association Director Talat Mahmood said the move was taken in right earnest to prevent sale of adulterated commodity. Though the commodity coming from neighbouring States is being subjected to checks, ensuring that the commodity on sale within the State is free of adulterants will be a gigantic task. Adulteration can happen within Kerala, Mr. Mahmood points out.

ILLEGAL EATERIES EVERYWHERE!

Most of the road side eateries across Pimple Saudagar are illegal and operate without permission from Food and Drugs Administration (FDA). It seems that residents are not bothered about the hygiene of the food items served at such eateries.

Most of the road side eateries across Pimple Saudagar are being run without having registered with Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) owing to their lack of awareness and lethargic attitude of FDA officials to spread the word. Though FDA officials should have registered all the vendors selling food items to legalize the stalls and bring them under the purview of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. They have not carried a single round of inspection across the area in recent past. 

Indifferent attitude of residents who are not bothered about illegality of stalls and hygiene have been helping illegal businesses to flourish. These stall owners do not maintain FDA prescribed hygiene standards. Alert citizens demand FDA officials to begin a drive to register food vendors to avoid any untoward instances of food poisoning.

Vendors not aware

More than 35 road side food outlets selling chat, juice, south Indian food, Maharashtrian food, snacks and fast food run business in the morning and evening hours. Most of the vendors are clubbed at Kunal Icon road, mainly at Shivar Chowk and near the entrance of Kunal Icon Cooperative Society. 

It is compulsory for any food outlet owner to register with FDA and get a certificate which requires Rs 100 fee per year. They also need to put a copy of FDA registration on display at their stall. But not a single food stall at Kunal Icon Road has such certification on display. While remaining stall owners are not aware of registration process.

Formation of FDA

FDA came into existence in 2011, as a separate department to issue registration or license to shops or stalls selling food items like snacks, fruits vegetables, dairy products, provision stores, restaurants and drinks. Registrations are given to those with income less than Rs 12 lakh per month while licenses are for the ones with income more than Rs 12 lakh.

Pimple Saudagar, Pimple Gurav, Pimple Nilakh, Kalewadi, and Rahatani is one zone out of eight across PCMC limits for FDA. There are only 1444 registered eateries in the area. It is compulsory for a food safety inspector to go for an inspection to all stalls and vendors in his area at least once in a year. The fact that a couple of stall owners proudly share the information that how they have been running business successfully for more than six years without disturbance from FDA prove that no single inspection has been carried till now.

“We are overburdened with work. A food safety inspector has to issue license and registrations, carry out inspections, and send food items to laboratory to check hygiene level. We have not carried inspection,” said Avinash Bhandwalkar, food safety inspector, PCMC.

Manoj Lonkar, administration officer, D Ward PCMC expresses inability to take action against vendors under anti encroachment drive on the back ground of the Street Vendors Act, 2014, that regulate street vendors in public areas and protect their rights. 

Satrughna Kate, local corporator said that the corporation was in process to finalize an area for hawker’s zone where stalls could be put up legally but he didn’t explain when it would be done. Both FDA officials and corporators agreed that there is need to get street food vendors registered and promised that it would be done soon.

Stalls operating without permission 

Shivar Chowk

Happy Singh Food Express Ice-cream

Shree Ganesh Milk and Juice

Shreyash Kathi Roll Momos

Supreme Sandwich Centre

Dakshin Davangiri Dosa

Kartik Pan Centre

Two South Indian food centre

Vadapav and Pohe Centre

Near Kunal Icon Society

Kalpana Bhel centre

Chaitanya Dosa Centre

S V Pav Bhaji

Bhairavnath Pavbhaji

Krishna Kachi Dabeli

Shri Krishna Bhel

Traffic Jam fast food centre

"FDA officials are in the process of registering all food vendors either on the spot or through official process. We will register vendors across Pimple Saudagar soon.

S P Shinde, joint commissioner, PCMC area, FDA"

" If the stalls are removed from here then we will have to travel to explore new food stalls.

Santosh Maskar, Roseland Residency."

--Varsha Torgalkar