Food Safety Officers Keeping Strict Vigil to Check Adulteration

Gulab Jamun
The festive season has already begun and with ‘Diwali’ on the threshold food safety officers are leaving no stone unturned to prevent food adulteration. They are keeping a strict watch on sweet and food outlets. There have also been crackdowns on mawamanufacturers in almost all states and about 66 samples of mawa were collected from Maharashtra during the recently concluded Ganpati festival.
According to reports, food safety officers will be on the lookout for signs of adulteration in sweets and milk products right up to Christmas. Food safety officials are inspecting sweet manufacturing units as maximum adulterants are found in sweets during the festive season. They have also made some seizures which include substandard water packets. Another adulterant that can cause health concerns for the consumer is the poor quality of oil used in preparing foods.
Milk alone is one of the most adulterated food products during the festive season as the demand for milk increases and supply cannot be met. Milk adulteration is of various kinds and includes adulteration with water, starch, urea, detergent, synthetic milk, salt and various chemicals.
Besides mawa and milk, FSSAI food inspectors are also collecting samples of ghee, oil and paneer. Food products seized in raids are usually tested for the following kinds of adulterants:
- Presence of vanaspati in sweet curd
- Presence of vanaspati or margarine in ghee
- Presence of blotting paper in rabri
- Coal tar dyes in ghee, cottage cheese, condensed milk, khoya, milk powder
- Starch in khoya, cheena and paneer
Adulteration is a term that is used for a food product that fails to meet food safety standards and is rendered unsafe for human consumption as it is injurious to health because there is
- addition of inferior quality materials
- extraction of valuable and nutritious ingredients
- biological and chemical contamination during the period of growth, storage, processing, transport and distribution of the food products that lowers or degrades quality
Under the previous food laws any food product with lowered or degraded quality used to be defined as Adulterated Food but under the new law (FSS Act, 2006), the word adulterated food has been termed as substandard food, unsafe food or food containing any extraneous matter.
“Unsafe food” means an article of food whose nature, substance or quality is so affected that it becomes injurious to health. This can be result from
- the article itself, the package and if it is composed wholly or in part of poisonous or deleterious substance
- the article consisting wholly or in part of any filthy, putrid, rotten, decomposed or diseased animal substance or vegetable substance
- unhygienic processing or the presence in that article of any harmful substance
- substitution of any inferior or cheaper substance whether wholly or in part
- addition of a substance directly or as an ingredient which is not permitted
- abstraction wholly or in part, of any of its constituents or by the article being so coloured, flavoured or coated, powdered or polished, in a manner as to damage or conceal the article or to make it appear better or of greater value than it really is
- the presence of any colouring matter or preservatives other than that specified
- the article being infected or infested with worms, weevils, or insects
- being prepared, packed or kept under insanitary conditions
- being mis-branded or sub-standard food or containing extraneous matter
- containing pesticides and other contaminants in excess of quantities specified by regulations.
According to the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, anyone found manufacturing, selling or storing adulterated food would be liable to pay a penalty ranging from between Rs.1 lakh to Rs.10 lakh and could also be sentenced to imprisonment for a term ranging between six months to life.

Staff shortage smothers food safety act enforcement

The Act, aiming to ensure safe and quality food to the people, is still in its infancy with most people remaining unaware of its provisions and safeguards.
Thiruvananthapuram: The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 was introduced by the Union Government in 2011. The Act, aiming to ensure safe and quality food to the people, is still in its infancy with most people remaining unaware of its provisions and safeguards. Although Kerala is much ahead in terms of implementing the Act in comparison with other states the awareness level amongst the large sections of the consumers needed to be improved. Even the government is yet to formulate a fool proof system to enforce the provisions of the Act. Excerpt from an interview with Commissioner of Food Safety Anupama T. V.
How consumer friendly is the rules and regulations linked with FSS Act?
The beneficiaries of food safety and standards act are the consumers and the food business operators. We have set up a mechanism which is easily accessible to common man. A toll free number is there and we are receiving lot many grievance calls relating to stale food and substandard eatables daily. We need to strengthen the department for more effective implementation of the act. Also, most of the people are still in the dark regarding the Act and still search for food inspectors like in old days to register their complaints. We have offices at all 140 constituencies and the consumers could easily drop in their complaints. It's definitely consumer friendly, since the Act was enforced there has been a seen change in the hotel industry.
It is said that information about the Act is mainly concentrated in urban areas and the vast majority of the rural habitat are unaware of the provisions of the Act. How the department is planning to tackle this situation?
Creating awareness among the public on the Act is one of the main components and we are giving top priority for that. A major challenge to enforce the Act is the severe shortage of the staff. The staff shortage is a stumbling block for enforcing the act in the state. Currently, our activities are limited in the urban circle because of this shortage. But we are planning to cover more rural constituencies soon. From this month onwards, I have given direction to our squads from each district to cover at least two rural constituencies. Also we have initiated steps to recruit more food safety officers through PSC (public service commission). May be within four to five months we would fill around 75 to 80 vacancies in the department. Right now we are managing with 79 personnel.
How consumer friendly is the toll free number?
We are receiving an average of 40 to 50 calls daily from consumers. But, due to minimal staff strength the department is unable to attend to the calls immediately. But, calls are prioritized based on the severity of the issue. If samples are needed to be collected our squad responds immediately even if its midnight. Once enough staff strength is there we would be able to provide round the clock services to consumers. Very soon we will make available our services 24*7. We are receiving complaints even in our email id.
The modifications if any needed in the Food Safety and Standards Act?
It's a new Act and came as a replacement to an existing system. Certain constraints are there as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is still bringing in revisions to the act. Acts are never fool proof and it has to be revised from time to time. The FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is very quick in bringing in changes to facilitate practical execution of the act. We encounter certain issues while implementing the act. When the issue of antibiotic in chicken came, we had issues as the act doesn't provide any clarity on the amount of allowed antibiotic residues. Currently, efforts are on to bring all food business operators under the Act. There are around one lakh food business operators in the state. However, a majority of them are in the unorganised sector. We are expecting around 40,000 food business operators to avail the license and registration under the food safety act.
Though the act envisages strict action against violators, the Commissionerate of Food Safety here is unable to penalise them. Why there has been less action even after having enough proofs?
NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited lab is an obvious requirement for the proper execution of the act. Only samples that are scrutinized aty NABL accredited labs would be legally valid. Unfortunately, we don't have any in the state at present. Currently, we are depending on laboratories in other states. But efforts are in the final stages to upgrade the existing laboratories at Ernakulam, Trivandrum and Kozhikode with the minimum basic standards to avail the mandatory accreditation. Three consultants have come forward and we will start the works very soon.

How to Read Nutrition Labels - Top 10 Facts

 

More than ever before, most of us are spending more and more of our grocery bills on packaged foods, so it's time that we got to know what we're consuming. The easiest way to do that is to be able to read what our food label says.
Reading what the back of the box says about calories is not going to get you far. We should, ideally at a glance be able to tell if the food contains trans-fats, chemicals in the form of preservatives or if it is genetically modified. But these days it's becoming more of a challenge to decipher the nutrition labels as the fonts are becoming smaller, while the health claims are getting bigger. (More: 5 most shocking ingredients in your food)
Recently, our team during a taste test of chips, saw a packet that claimed bold and bright that they were made in olive oil, and then somewhere in the post script hidden at the back, it said traces of hydrogenated vegetable oil, other oils. Then another time, there was this juice packet that said - Natural, and then when we looked closer, it said it was an orange beverage and not even a juice! (More: Taste test - Orange drinks)
One way that grocery brands in UK are dealing with the food labeling crises is making the system more transparent. They have added a graphic label that resembles a traffic light. The traffic light label indicates the amount fat, saturated fats, sugar, and salt in your packaged food. Yellow means it's safe to consume, green means that it's actually good for your health and red of course is to be avoided. The traffic light label is the first step in ensuring that customers can make enlightened choices about the food that they buy. But in India, we are many moons away from such a system. (Quite apart, many don't even follow the real traffic signals!)
You can start your label reading adventure by looking at the "serving size" first. If a half-cup serving has 50 calories, but you usually eat a one-cup serving, you'll be getting 100 calories. Now that we have serving size out of the way, the next task in hand is to look out for 'key' words that will help you decode your food labels. Here's a list of the top 10 things to look out for.
1. Low Fat - The percentage of fat is given per serving. If it says 15 grams of fat per serving, the total fat that you eat depends on how many servings you end up consuming. You should start by comparing the 'portion size' (amount you eat) and 'serving size'. For instance, a company may pack two pastries in one package and the label reads 150 calories for one serving which means that this figure relates to only one pastry.
Also, be careful as 'low fat' may not always mean 'low calories'. More often than not, to make up for the fat, food manufacturers can add other ingredients to compensate for the flavour, like sugar, flour, thickeners, and salt. These can add to the total calorie count. (More: Type of fats)
2. Natural Flavours - Aren't we all attracted to labels that scream the word - Natural? It gives us this warm, fuzzy, wholesome feeling. But what you see is not what you get. (More: Food a as 'organic' or 'natural' might be unhealthy)
It's interesting to note that the US Food and Drug Administration or FDA does not define what is "natural". This is what it says. "FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances".
It's important to note that both artificial flavours as well as natural flavours have chemicals. The point is where do these chemicals come from. In natural flavours, the chemicals have to be derived from a plant or an animal (something that is eaten) whereas artificial flavours are derived from inedible sources. So even your natural flavor extracts have a complicated chemical makeup, it's just that they are more or less identical to the natural flavoring.
3. Stabilizers and Thickeners - These are added to improve the and stabilize the texture of foods. These are found in jellies, ready-to-eat foods, desserts, frozen foods and salad dressings and they neither stabilize your health nor preserve it. They are used to maintain the consistency of the food. For example, Agar agar is also used as a food stabiliser in food products like canned meat.
4. Preservatives - Preservatives prevent the growth of microbes such as bacteria or moulds in foods during storage. They are used to make the food last longer on the grocery shelf. Eg, Sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite are used as food preservatives.
Sodium nitrate helps prevent bacterial colonization of foods while sodium nitrite acts as an oxidizing agent and is usually used in preserving meat. You can find these chemical compounds hidden in bacon, ham, hot dogs and all processed meat. Preservatives also include fumigants on plants which control the browning of fruits and vegetables.
5. High Fructose Corn Syrup - This is a top favourite with the packaged food industry. You will find it everywhere, in ketchup bottles, biscuits, baked goods, dairy products, carbonated drinks, you name it! High fructose corn syrup is an artificial sweetener made from corn. It's popular because it is sweeter than sugar, is relatively cheaper, and helps in preserving the food longer. (More: The bittersweet truth - High fructose corn syrup)
6. Colouring Agents - Food colouring or colour additive is a pigment or substance that addscolour to your food. Vibrant colours make food more appealing. Even though synthetic colors do not add to the nutritive value of the foods, they are frequently added to restore the natural color lost on food processing. Due to health concerns of chemical dyes, some natural food dyes are now being used like beta-carotene, chlorophyll, saffron, curcumin (turmeric) etc. These maybe extracted from natural sources or produced synthetically.
But there are laws that guide you about what colours you can produce and in what products. According to Rule 28 of The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act in India, the colours that can be chemically produced are red, yellow, blue and green. Also, they can only be used in specific foods like ice-cream, frozen desserts, flavoured milk, yoghurt, biscuits, custard powders etc.
7. Emulsifiers - Emulsifiers are a group of substances that are used to obtain a stable mixture of liquids that would not mix or separate quickly. Emulsifiers are food additives found in salad dressings, margarine, mayonnaise etc. How do you look for them in a label? Your clue is the alphabet E followed by a number.
8. Artificial Sweeteners - Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes but may be derived from naturally occurring substances, or they could be synthetic. They are widely used in processed foods, including baked goods, soft drinks, candy, puddings, canned foods, jams and jellies, dairy products etc. Here are some names of sugar substitutes. Saccharin, Aspartame, Acesulfame-K, Sucralose, Neotame, Glycerol, Erythritol, Maltitol, Lactitol. (More: Top 10 must-know facts about Aspartame)
9. MSG or Monosodium Glutamate - It is used as a flavor enhancer and is found in salad dressings, ready-to-eat soups, canned vegetables and chips. It has been known to cause various side-effects like headaches, allergic reactions, nausea etc. Internationally, it is recognized as a food additive. Though in small quantities it may not harm you but experts say that it is best to avoid it.
10. Partially Hydrogenated Oils - Partially hydrogenated oils are full of trans-fats. You think it's partially hydrogenated but it actually means that the oil has been heated to stay longer and it's the worst form of cholesterol. They are basically vegetable oils whose chemical structure is changed to prevent spoilage and increase the shelf life of food products. Also, they are cost efficient for food manufactures. (More: The best cooking oils for your health)
After reading this, hopefully the next time you see a beverage which says naturally flavoured, you will not presume that it's full of natural fruits? You could also see a product which screams 'low fat' but is filled with calories that are nutritionally completely worthless. The trick is to learn to read between the lines.

FSSAI to Renew Licenses for Already Existing Product Approvals

Health Supplements – Natural Vitamin Pills

FSSAI in its office memorandum, dated 29 September 2014, has stated that licenses would be renewed for already approved food products. FSSAI had stated that PNOCs/NOCs already issued by theProduct Approval Division of FSSAI for food product(s) would be renewed if it has expired or for those product(s) where the risk assessment outcome is awaited.

However, the validity of the license will depend on the result of the final risk assessment by FSSAI.

The risk assessment outcome will also determine whether the issued license will be further renewed, suspended or cancelled.

NOCs for Imported food products

For important food products FSSAI has set up a mandatory food import clearance process. The process is lengthy and involves a number of procedures. In the first step Customs generates an examination order through the bill of entry. Only after sample testing fee and necessary documents have been submitted do the Custom House Agents (CHAs) seek an appointment for from the FSSAI-AO. Once the appointment for sampling is granted AO will

Visually inspect food products

Verify documents and labels

Randomly pick samples from the consignment at the CFS or from the vessels

Sealed and cooled samples are sent to the approved testing laboratories for analysis

In the approved laboratories tests on the food product samples are carried out according to the requirements set in FSS (Laboratory and Sample Analysis) Regulations, 2011. The laboratory sends the test report to FSSAI within the stipulated time. On the basis of this test report the AO gives NOC for clearance or Non Conformance to the CHA and customs.

The process may be lengthy nevertheless, between January and June 2014, FSSAI has awarded NOC for 35,008 samples out of the 37,124 sample collected for testing. Out of these the samples that did not get clearance were those that did not meet the safety and quality parameters of the Food Safety & Standards Regulations 2011 in compliance to Food Safety & Standards Act.

Health Dept raids sweets shops Issues directions to shop owners to adhere to guidelines on food safety

Chandigarh, October 11
In view of the festive season, teams of the UT Health Department today conducted raids at around a dozen sweets shops in the city and destroyed sweets and other items in quintals.
The drive was meant to issue directions to the sweets shop owners to adhere to the food safety guidelines else strict action will be taken against them.
The drive was conducted under the supervision of Additional Secretary (Health) SK Setia.
The health officials issued challans to the owners of two sweets shops in Mani Majra, including the owner of Panna Halwai and Shivam Sweets in Mani Majra after unhygienic conditions were found in their shops during the raid.
Raids were also conducted at sweets shops in Pulsora, Ram Darbar, Industrial Area and Darua village. A total of four teams were designated for the purpose to raid various sweets shops.
The team also raided Chandigarh sweets in Darua village and Aggarwal sweets in the same area.
Infected almonds were destroyed at Aggarwal Sweets and directions were issued to the owner to adhere to food safety standards. Barfi with excess synthetic colour and flies were also detected at various shops and instructions were then issued and sweets destroyed.
The team destroyed 15 kg ‘rasgullas’ and another 10 kg of sweets at the shops.
Around 50 kg of sweets, found to be cooked in unhygienic conditions, were also destroyed during a raid at Gobind Sweets in Ram Darbar.
As the festive season takes off, the Food Safety Cell of the UT Health Department is keeping an eye on all major sweet manufacturers in the city.
Under Epidemic Diseases Act, u/s 2, health officials are empowered to take immediate steps to ensure safety of residents by taking precautionary measures. Health officials are empowered to destroy food articles on-the-spot, which are exposed to dust and flies and prepared in unhygienic conditions.
The department has further warned the shop owners of action if they fail to maintain hygiene in future.
As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, cases of adulteration and labelling fall under the categories of substandard and misbranded food, while the use of synthetic and major adulterated products, including harmful chemicals fall under the unsafe category.
“The surprise checks will continue till the end of the festive season” said a food inspector.
CRACKING THE WHIP
Health officials issued challans to the owners of two sweets shops in Mani Majra.
Raids were also conducted at sweets shops in Pulsora, Ram Darbar, Industrial Area and Darua village.
The drive was conducted under the supervision of Additional Secretary (Health) SK Setia.

Special food adulteration drive on Karwachauth

Jammu, Oct 11 : A special drive was launched against adulteration in commonly used food items today, especially on the eve of Karwachauth by the team of Food Safety Officers of Jammu Municipal Corporation under the supervision of Health Officer Dr. Mohd. Saleem Khan. Teams inspected various food establishments like hotels, restaurants, provisional stores, food stalls, sabzi vendors, fruit Juice corners / vendors, tea stalls, ice cream corners, etc. in different areas falling within the limits of Jammu Municipal Corporation. During the round the team lifted 6 different kind of food samples and sent it to food analyst for analysis to ascertain its standard of purity. Al the food business operators were also directed not to sell any type of unhygienic food not conforming to prescribed quality & standards which can put the public health to danger, otherwise stringent action under Food Safety & Standards Act 2006 will be taken against the defaulters.

2 months on, majority of food vendors yet to be registered

Even as two months have passed since the deadline for food registration and licensing expired, more than 40% vendors in the district are yet to get registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which has been made mandatory for selling eatables.
The state government’s deadline of August 4, as notified to all district health officials, to assure the registration of food sellers has expired since. But several vendors are still unmindful to the registration.
Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has made it mandatory for all food business operators, including producers, processors, transporters or traders of food items, to get license and registration certificates.
A food seller with an annual turnover of up to `12 lakh has to pay `100 per year to get registered, while food business owners who have an annual turnover of over `12 lakh have to get license by paying `2,000 per annum.
It has been learnt that only 550 eateries have got licences in Kapurthala district while about 3,200 vendors got registered with the department.
To make easy the process of registration, the authorities concerned had recently started an online facility at the Kapurthala suwidha kendra to get registered instantly.
An applicant can also avail the online facility from his home by logging on to www.foodlicensing.fssai.gov.in’ and get registered. After this, the applicant has to fill the form for registration or issuance of licence and upload scanned copies of the required documents and submit fee.
In Kapurthala district, only 110 people have availed the online service since it was started.
Dr Guriqbal Singh, district health officer, said they are trying to get 100% registrations under the Food Security Act and the department has given 15 more days to those who have yet to get registered.
“We will wait till October 15 and then cases will be lodged with the chief judicial magistrate. Strict action will be taken against the defaulters,” the district health officer said.
Those who will fail to register their food outlets would face fine up to Rs. 6 lakh or six-month imprisonment, or both, he added.

Drive to check food adulteration by sweet shops

To check supply of adulterated sweets and milk items during the festive season, the Department of Food Safety will start a special checking drive from Monday. A team of four department officers will inspect manufacturing units of sweets and confectioners to check the purity of items prepared by them, said Dehradun Food Safety officer Anoj Kumar Thapliyal on Saturday.
Thapliyal said he has chalked out a plan for the festive season. The department officials will start conducting drive from October 13.
This will cover manufacturing units of sweets and shops. The officials will monitor preparation techniques and also keep a close watch over hygiene and precautions maintained by the manufacturers. The officials will be directed to take samples of milk and the milk by- products which are in great demand during the festive season.
During the festive season, the officers will be deployed at different places, including Vikasnagar Sahaspur, Chakrata, Doiwala, Dehradun city and Rishikesh.
After collecting the samples, they would send the food items to Food and Drug Testing Laboratory (FDTL), Rudrapur to have their purity checked. But as the machines meant for the purpose are not working for some time the State Government may send the collected samples to other states, including Himachal Pradesh, through the unit in Rudrapur, it is learnt.
Moreover, shortage of office staff and lack of vehicles with the department officials are negatively impacting the execution of the Food Security and Standards Act. Dehradun being the State capital and one of the big cities of Uttarakhand, the department needs at least 10 food safety officers to conduct the inspections in various manufacturing units. But only four officers are deputed to do the work presently. “Despite this, we would not be found wanting as far as implementation of the Act in the district is concerned,” he added.
Thapliyal further said that in the last one year, the department had collected 70 samples of food items from the restaurants, milk dairy, shops and other manufacturing units in the district, out of which around 30 samples were found to be unsafe or sub-standard or misbranded or containing extraneous things. The matter keeps pending in the court.
The penalty is being imposed on the food business operators who are manufacturing articles of food containing ingredients or substances which are not safe as per the said Act.
Department has issued 14, 00 licenses to the business operators whose annual turnovers are more than Rs12 lakh while around 6500 shopkeepers whose annual turnovers are less than Rs12 lakh got registered in the department.
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 is enforced on all food business undertakings- profit, non-profit, public and private- carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of manufacture, processing, packaging, storage, import, sale, transportation and distribution of food.

Ajay Traders fined Rs 2 lakhs for adulterated oil seized on June 9

IMPHAL, October 11: The Court of Adjudicating Officer (Food Safety)/Additional district Magistrate Imphal East has imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh penalty against M/s Ajay Traders for violating food safety norms and adulteration of food products.
Ajay Traders owned by Mulchand of Thangal Bazar was identified as the owner of adulterated edible mustard oil and betel nuts worth around Rs 50 lakh seized by a joint team of the Food Safety and Narcotics and Affairs of Border from a private godown at Khambam Lamkhai consignment earlier on June 9.
According to an order copy released by the Adjudicating Officer (Food Safety)/ADM Imphal, Somorjit Salam, the proprietor of Ajay Traders has been directed to deposit the fine under the Health department within seven days from the date of passing the order failing which the amount would be recovered as arrears of land revenue.
The court also directed the concerned food safety officer to dispose of the seized items by ways of destroying at a suitable place and expenditure if any in disposing the seized items shall be borne by the M/s Ajay Traders.
M/s Ajay Traders, if it wishes to continue the business should get itself registered and licensed with the designated officer Food Safety Officer, Imphal East, stated the order.
And once the firm is registered, the ban imposed on their business will be lifted for operation, it continued.
The court said that based on facts and documentary evidence on record submitted by the Food Safety officers Imphal East, the proprietor of the Ajay Traders against whom a case has been lodged (case no. 01/AO(FS)/ADM (IE)-2014), under the Food Security Act, 2006 has committed offence of storing edible mustard oil in violation of Section 26(2)(i)(ii)(iii) & 5 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and also violated regulation 2.2.1(6) of Food Safety and Standards (Food products standards and Food Additives) Regulation, 2011.

DAILY THANTHI NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

Food business operators asked to ensure quality

Ahead of Deepavali, Collector M. Ravikumar has instructed food business operators to ensure quality. With just eleven days left for the festival, eateries selling sweets and bakeries are busy preparing several varieties. All food business operators should get registered and obtain licence from Food Safety Officers under Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA). The packed food items should mandatorily possess labels mentioning its name, full address of manufacturer, manufacturing date, shelf life and expiry date and should be categorised as vegetarian or non-vegetarian, he said here on Thursday. Consumers should look for these details while buying food products. The ready-to-eat food items should be covered properly so as to keep them free from flies. For any complaint, consumers could reach the Designated Food Safety Officer, FSSA and stern action would be taken against violation of norms, the Collector said. 

M. Jagadis Chandrabose, Designated Food Safety Officer, said that as many as 17, 659 food business operators, including 13, 696 private units and 3, 963 government enterprises, were functioning across the district. Out of them, 8, 194 operators, whose annual turnover was below Rs.12 lakh, had registration certificates and 962 operators, whose annual turnover was above Rs.12 lakh, had obtained licences from food safety officers.

200kg of adulterated tea seized

TRICHY: Despite repeated seizure of adulterated tea in the city, the harmful powders continue to thrive in shops that are situated on the border villages of the district. On Friday, officials of the food safety wing seized 200kg of adulterated tea powder from two tea shops in Lalgudi Bus Stand and Pullambadi Bus Stand. However, the manufacturers of such adulterated tea powder still elude the officials.

"During our visit to those areas, we checked the tea powders delivered by an unidentified person in both the areas. The tea powder was of inferior quality. The spot test confirmed adulteration in the tea powder. However, we are yet to get the results from the lab to confirm whether colouring agent mixed in the powder is harmful. If it is found harmful, the shop owners will be prosecuted," Dr A Ramakrishnan, designated officer (DO) told TOI.

Officials said the total seizure of adulterated tea powder in the city was around 500kg this year on a rough estimate.

"Today's (Friday) was the major catch of this year. Normally, we seize tea powders in small quantity from tea shops. The shop owners are not aware of the key persons behind the manufacturing of the adulterated tea powders. In today's (Friday) case also, we got a mobile number of the supplier but it remained switched off," said the DO.

Going by the previous seizures, the adulterated tea powders were made of used tea powders and colouring agents.

The manufacturers of adulterated tea powders mainly target rural areas of the district to avoid getting caught by the officers. Moreover, rural people are not aware of the consequences of consuming adulterated tea. Officials caution that continuous consumption of tea made of adulterated tea may lead to cancer.

"The adulterated tea powder has carcinogenic agent which can cause cancer. So, the consumers should be cautious about the colour of the tea. It is advisable to avoid tea in dark colour," said Dr Ramakrishnan.

State FDAs launch drives to check adulteration prior to festive season

The food and drug administrations of a few states launched drives to curb adulteration, a rampant practice during the festive season. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra conducted raids, and seized about 6,000kg of spurious mawa a few days prior to Ganesh Chaturthi and Durga Puja.
When quizzed about the raid and seizure of adulterated mawa, Amit Deshmukh, Maharashtra’s minister of state for food and drug administration, said, “In view of the festive season, FDA Maharashtra started conducted the raids in August 2014, and has so far seized mawa worth Rs 13.49 lakh from across the state.”
“By mid-September, the state FDA had collected about 66 samples and sent them for testing. We are awaiting the reports. After the crackdown on adulterated mawa, we directed the state FDA to continue conducting raids until Christmas,” he added, urging people to take precautions while buying sweets or mawa during the festive season.
Deshmukh said, “We appeal to the people to buy only the amount of sweets or mawa that is required during the festive season, and keep the same refrigerated. If people find anything amiss in the sweets they buy or consume, they should approach FDA Maharashtra at the earliest.”
Gujarat
H G Koshia, commissioner, Food and Drugs Control Administration, Gujarat, said, “The use of adulterated mawa to make sweets is on the rise during the festive season. However, in Gujarat, we are conducting a special drive to check adulteration. We have deployed over 300 food safety officers (FSO) for the purpose.”
“However, of all the samples tested in Gujarat, only four per cent were found to be adulterated. Hence, the quality of food prepared in the state is better than most other states in the country,” he added.
Assam
L R Nampui, joint commissioner, commissionerate of food safety, Assam, said, “Before the festive season, we planned to launch a drive against food adulteration. It is a fact that the mawa and milk used to make sweets during the festive season are adulterated, because at this time, the demand for certain items increases, but its supply is limited.”
“Our officials would be collecting samples of ghee, oil, mawa, sweets and paneer, and sending these to the laboratory for testing. During Diwali, the demand for milk increases, and our officials would be keeping tabs on its supply, because the chances of adulteration are brighter. Sub-standard and adulterated food items could cause stomach ailments,” he added.
“The Food Safety and Standards Regulations (FSSR), 2011, defined unsafe food as an article whose nature, substance or quality is so affected as to render it injurious to health,” Nampui said.
He added, “The laws are stricter now, and those involved in adulteration would be punished. Anyone found manufacturing, selling or storing such unsafe foods would be liable to pay a penalty ranging between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 10 lakh, and sentenced to imprisonment for a term ranging between six months and life.”

UT ADMIN CRACKS DOWN ON FOOD ADULTERATION

Gearing up to prevent food adulteration during this festive season, the UT Administration has begun an intensive checking drive in the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
A team of the UT Food Safety & Standards Authority, UT Health Department has been constituted to conduct preventive checks in the city.During Thursday’s inspection across the city, about 200 kgs of Matthi, Cream Rolls, Balu Shahi, Cream, Vanaspati Ghee and Maida which were kept exposed to dust and flies and were unfit for human consumption were destroyed under Epidemic Diseases Act in the city.
A spokesperson of the UT Administration said that a joint team comprising food safety officers Bharat Kanojia and Surinder Pal Singh conducted a raid on October 9 under the supervision of Dr KS Rana, designated officer in view of the ongoing festive season to check the purity of sweets and khoya products in Chandigarh.
The team inspected the areas of Sector 14, Manimajra, Pipliwala Town, Gobindpura, Indira Colony, Shanti Nagar and the area around the Railway Phatak, said the spokesperson.After inspection, the team took four samples of Khoya, Besan Laddoo, Gulab Jamun and Rasgulla Sweets.
The spokesperson said that the Administration has already issued warning to shopkeepers and vendors to refrain from activities like food adulteration. If any shopkeeper or vendor is found selling adulterated food, strict action will be taken against them under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and under Section 2 of the epidemic diseases Act 1897 (Central Act No.III of 1897).
The UT Administration has also directed all food business operators to maintain proper hygiene of their premises while preparing and selling of sweet meals.

Health Dept destroys 200 kg of sweets

Chandigarh, October 9
A team of the UT Health Department took four samples of sweets and destroyed 200 kg of sweets found exposed to flies and dust.

Following directions issued by the Additional Secretary (Health), a joint team, comprising food safety officers Bharat Kanojia and Surinder Pal Singh, conducted a raid under the supervision of Dr KS Rana, designated officer, in view of the ongoing festive season to check the purity of sweets and “khoya” products.

The team inspected areas in Sector 14, Mani Majra, Pipliwala town, Gobindpura, Indira Colony, Shanti Nagar and the railway crossing. Food vendors were instructed to maintain hygiene and ensure quality standards as stipulated in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The team took four samples, one each of khoya, besan ladoo, gulab jamun and rasgulla. A total of 200 kg of matthi, cream rolls, balushahi, cream, vanaspati ghee and maida, which were exposed to dust and flies and found unfit for human consumption, were destroyed under the Epidemic Diseases Act.

Punjab progressive farmers moot milk ATMs in Ludhiana

The ATMs would function round the clock, which would allow residents of the city to have access to milk
Ludhiana-based Progressive Dairy Solutions (PDS), incorporated by progressive dairy farmers of Punjab, is planning to introduce milk ATMs in Ludhiana.
The ATMs would function round the clock, which would allow residents of the city to have access to milk. If it happens,Ludhiana would be the first city in Punjab to have milk ATMs. The company has similar plans for Chandigarh also. Currently, the company is processing around 20,000 litres a day and marketing their milk under the brand La Pure in Ludhiana and Jalandhar.
"It is a quick and efficient system of distribution. Initially, we would introduce around 15 ATMs in a fortnight in Ludhiana. Each ATM will have a 500-litre dispenser and would be located in different parts of the city. This will prove to be especially useful for working women, and also to people who work long hours during the day and return late at night, not leaving them with enough time to go and purchase their daily requirements such as milk. The milk will be kept in refrigerators at four degrees Celsius to ensure that it remains fresh and does not spoil or curdle," Munish Sharma, general manager of Progressive Dairy Solutions, told Business Standard.
According to a national survey conducted by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a major portion of the milk samples in Ludhiana have been found to be non-compliant with FSSAI norms, as they were found to be adulterated with skimmed milk powder, glucose and water. Other adulterants that are used are urea, detergents, hydrogen peroxide and other carbonates and bicarbonates are added to milk.

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரி அதிரடி சேகோ உற்பத்திக்கு தடை, நோட்டீஸ்

ஆத்தூர்: ஆத்தூர் அருகே, சேகோ ஃபேக்டரியில், ரசாயன அமிலம் கலந்து, ஜவ்வரிசி, ஸ்டார்ச் உற்பத்தி செய்ததால், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரி, சேகோ உற்பத்திக்கு தடை செய்து, "நோட்டீஸ்' வழங்கினார்.

ஆத்தூர் நகர் மற்றும் கிராம பகுதிகளில் உள்ள, இனிப்பு, காரவகைகள் தயாரிக்கும் தொழிற்கூடம், ஸ்வீட் கடைகளில், நேற்று, மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை, டாக்டர் அனுராதா தலைமையில், சுகாதார ஆய்வாளர்கள் புஷ்பராஜ், சுந்தர்ராஜ், கோவிந்தராஜ் உள்ளிட்டோர், ஆய்வு செய்தனர். அப்போது, தீபாவளி பண்டிகையை முன்னிட்டு, ஸ்வீட், மிக்ஸர் உள்ளிட்ட இனிப்பு, கார வகை தயார் செய்யும், 20க்கும் மேற்பட்ட தொழிற்கூடங்களில், சுத்தமாகவும், சுகாதாரமான முறையில் தயார் செய்ய வேண்டும் என, அறிவுறுத்தினர்.

தாண்டவராயபுரம் கிராமத்தை சேர்ந்த, பச்சமுத்து என்பவரது, எஸ்.எஸ்., சேகோ ஃபேக்டரியில், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அலுவலர்கள் ஆய்வு செய்தனர். ஸ்டார்ச் மாவு, உற்பத்தி செய்து வைத்திருந்த ஜவ்வரிசியில், ரசாயனம் கலந்திருப்பது தெரியவந்தது.

மேலும், இரண்டு லிட்டர், சல்ப்யூரிக் அமிலத்தை கண்டறிந்து, அவற்றை அழித்தனர். சேகோ உற்பத்தியில், ரசாயனம் கலந்துள்ளது கண்டறியப்பட்டதால், சேகோ உற்பத்திக்கு தடை செய்து, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரி டாக்டர் அனுராதா, "நோட்டீஸ்' வழங்கினார். ஜவ்வரிசி "மாதிரி' எடுத்து, உணவு பகுப்பாய்வு மையத்துக்கு அனுப்பி வைத்தனர்.

நரசிங்கபுரம் நகராட்சி, விநாயகபுரத்தில் உள்ள, முருகன் சேகோ ஃபேக்டரியில், ஜவ்வரிசி மாதிரி எடுத்துச் சென்றனர். ஜவ்வரிசியில் கலப்படம் இருந்தால், கடுமையான நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும். என, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரி அனுராதா எச்சரிக்கை விடுத்தார்

அதிகாரிகள் அதிரடி ஆத்தூர் அருகே சோதனைஅதிமுக பிரமுகர் ஆலையில் ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்திக்கு தடை

ஆத்தூர், அக்.10:
ஆத்தூர் அருகே அதிமுக பிரமுகர் ஆலையில் ஜவ்வரிசி உற்பத்திக்கு அதிகாரிகள் தடை விதித்து உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளனர்.
ஆத்தூர் அருகே தாண்டவராயபுரம் கிராமத்தில் அதிமுக பிரமுகர் பச்சமுத்து என்பவருக்கு சொந் தமான சோகோ ஆலை உள்ளது. இந்த ஆலையில் நேற்று மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் அனு ராதா தலைமையிலான அலுவலர்கள் திடீர் ஆய்வு பணியில் ஈடுபட்டனர்.
அப்போது, அங்கு ரசாயனம் கலந்த ஜவ்வரிசி மாவு தயாரிக்கும் பணியில் ஈடுபட்டிருந்தது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டது. இதையடுத்து, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு தடை சட்டம் 55ன் கீழ் சேகோ ஆலையின் உரிமையாளர்கள் பச்சமுத்துவுக்கு ஜவ்வரிசி தயாரிப்பதை நிறுத்தி வைக்க அதிகாரிகள் உத்தரவிட்டனர்.

பண்டிகை காலங்களில்உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை பதிவுபெற்ற நிறுவன பலகாரங்களை வாங்குங்கள் கலெக்டர் அறிவுறுத்தல்

தூத்துக்குடி, அக்.10:
பண்டிகை காலங்களில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையில் பதிவு பெற்ற நிறுவனங்களில் மட்டும் பலகாரங்கள் வாங்குமாறு பொதுமக்களுக்கு கலெக்டர் ரவிகுமார் அறிவுறுத்தியுள்ளார்.
தற்போது பண்டிகை காலம் தொடங்கியுள்ளதால் அனைத்து விதமான விற்பனைகளும் சூடுபிடிக்கத் துவங்கியுள்ளது. தீபாவளி, கிறிஸ்துமஸ் போன்ற பண்டிகை காலத்தில் விதவிதமான இனிப்பு பலகாரங்கள், பேக்கரி உணவு பொருட்களை மக்கள் விரும்பி வாங்குவதுடன், உறவினர்களுக்கும் வழங்குவதுண்டு.
ஸ்வீட்ஸ் மற்றும் பேக்கரி பொருட்கள் தயாரிப்பவர்கள் தரமான மூலப்பொருட்களால் சுகாதாரமாக தயாரித்து பொதுமக்களுக்கு வழங்க வேண்டும்.
கலப்படமான பொருட்களையோ, அதிகமான நிறமிகளையோ உபயோகிக்கக் கூடாது.
பேக்கிங் உணவு பொருட்களின் விபரச்சீட்டில், தயாரிப்பாளரின் முழு முகவரி, உணவு பொருளின் பெயர், தயாரிப்பு, பேக்கிங் தேதி, காலாவதியாகும் காலம், சைவ மற்றும் அசைவ குறியீடு கண்டிப்பாக குறிப்பிட வேண்டும்.
உணவு பொருட்களை ஈக்கள் மற்றும் கிருமி தொற்று இல்லாத சுகாதாரமான சூழலில் பொது மக்களுக்கு விற்பனை செய்திடல் வேண்டும். பண்டிகை காலத்தில் மட்டும் பலகாரங்கள் தயாரிப்பவர்கள் உட்பட அனைத்து தயாரிப்பாளர்கள் மற்றும் விற்பனையாளர்களும் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலகத்தினை தொடர்பு கொண்டு இந்திய உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் தரங்கள் சட்டம் 2006ன் கீழ் தங்களது வணிகத்தினை பதிவு செய்து உரிமம் பெறஅறிவுறுத்தப்படுகிறார்கள்.
பொதுமக்களும் பலகாரங்கள் வாங்கும்போது, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையில் பதிவு பெற்ற நிறுவனங்களில் வாங்குமாறும், பேக்கிங் பொருட்களில் விபரச்சீட்டு இருந்தால் மட்டுமே வாங்கி உபயோகிக்குமாறும் கேட்டுக் கொள்ளப்படுகிறார்கள்.
இதுதொடர்பான புகார்களை தூத்துக்குடி மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் மருந்து நிர்வாகத்துறையின் நியமன அலுவலரிடம் 0461&2340699 என்ற எண்ணில் தெரிவிக்கலாம்.
இவ்வாறு கூறியுள்ளார்.

தடையை மீறி குட்கா விற்பனை அதிகாரிகள் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க கோரிக்கை

கரூர், அக்.9:
தடை செய்யப்பட்ட பான்பராக் குட்கா விற்பனை செய்யப்படுவதை தடுக்க நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும் என பொதுமக்கள எதிர்பார்க்கின்றனர்.
பான்மசாலா, குட்கா போன்ற பொருட்கள் விற்பனைக்கு தமிழக அரசு தடைவிதித்துள்ளது. பொதுமக்களின் நலன்கருதி, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் தர நிர்ணயம் சட்டத்தின்கீழ் புகையிலை மற்றும் நிகோடின் கலந்த பொருட்கள் விற்பனை செய்ய கரூர் மாவட்டத்தில் கடந்த மே மாதம் முதல் தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டது.
நிகோடின் கலந்த பொருட்களை மக்கள் உட்கொள்வதால் ரத்தக்குழாய் அடைப்பு ஏற்பட்டு இளம்வயதிலேயே மாரடைப்பு ஏற்பட்டு இறந்து விடுவதற்கு வாய்ப்புள்ளது. மேலும் வாயின்உட்பகுதி உதட்டுபாகம், தாடை, நாக்கு, தோல் புற்றுநோய் ஏற்பட்டு மக்கள் மிகவும் அவதிப்படுகின்றனர். எனவே நிகோடின், புகையிலை கலந்து தயாரிக்கப்படும் பான்மசாலா குட்கா, மாணிக்சந்த், பான்பராக், ஹான்ஸ், மாவா, தம்மக், கணேஷ், பாஸ்பாஸ் மற்றும் பீடா போன்றவற்றின் விற்பனைக்கு தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது.
ஆனால் தடையை மீறி இந்த பொருட்கள் மீண்டும் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது. வாகன ஓட்டிகள், பயணிகள் என பொது இடங்களில் இவற்றை பயன்படுத்தி வருகின்றனர். எனவே பான்பராக் குட்கா போன்ற பொருட்களை விற்பனை செய்வதை தடுக்க வருவாய்த்துறை, காவல்துறை அதிகாரிகள் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கவேண்டும் என பொதுமக்கள் எதிர்பார்க்கின்றனர்.

அம்பை பகுதிகளில் புகையிலை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல்

அம்பை, அக். 9:
அம்பை ஒன்றியத்திற்குட்பட்ட பகுதிகளில் உள்ள கடைகளில் தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலைப் பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்து அழிக்கப்பட்டது.
அம்பாசமுத்திரம் ஒன்றியப்பகுதிகளான மன்னார்கோவில், வாகைக்குளம், காக்கநல்லூர் போன்ற பகுதிகளில் தமிழ்நாடு உணவு பாதுகாப்பு ஆணையர் குமார்ஜெயந்த் மற்றும் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துறை நியமன அதிகாரி கருணாகரன் ஆகியோர் அறிவுரையின்பேரில் அம்பை உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரி நாகசுப்பிரமணியன் சோதனை யில் ஈடுபட்டார்.
அப்போது தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை பொருட்களான பான்பராக், புகையிலை மற்றும் தயாரிப்புத் தொடர்பான விவரங் கள் இல்லாத குளிர்பான பாக்கெட்டுகள் போன்றவற்றை பறிமுதல் செய்து அழித்தார்.
இதுபோல் மீண்டும் விற்பனை செய்தால் உணவுப் பாதுகாப்புச் சட்டப்படி நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என்று வியாபாரிகளிடம் எச்சரிக்கை விடுத் தார்.

Health Ministry reviewing FSS Act; Objective: To make it accommodating

Three years after the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, came into effect, the health ministry has decided to undertake a comprehensive review of it, in order to make it more accommodating and ensure its implementation without forcing it on anyone.

It decided to do so after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) received a number of complaints regarding its operations; delegations made recommendations to the health ministry, and the courts made a number of observations.

It was also learnt that the ministry planned to repeal the Act for a short period, and would represent a new draft in Parliament’s next winter session.

Commenting on the review, health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan said, “Since I took charge of the ministry, we have received several representations and memorandums on the subject of food safety.”

“So we thought of withdrawing it for a short time, and studying the recommendations and the existing legislation in detail. We don’t want to force anything. We are trying to develop a consensus without compromising on the quality,” he added.

“The law must incorporate the practicality of the regulations. India must modify laws according to its needs. It may not be feasible to implement those that have been enforced overseas as they are here,” Dr Vardhan stated.

“The country must also ensure that there is an implementation mechanism, and has to create establishment according, and not permit any compromise on the food standards,” the minister added. 

He stated that for 100 days after he assumed office, he met scores of delegations from across India, who voiced their concerns about the implementation of the Act. He said, “You can’t rubbish every suggestion that is put across by so many people.” 

A senior official in the ministry stated that the ministry was initially planning to amend the Act, but had to paid heed to the observations made by the Supreme Court. These included the need to make the punishment more stringent. 

“In the light of that, we want to review the entire Act, before coming up with the new draft. We must adopt a holistic approach towards food safety,” he added. 

Sources said representations were made before the health minister and the prime minister. Some of them also met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah to voice their concerns regarding the implementation of the Act. 

It was also learned that the food business operators (FBO) made a detailed point-wise presentation to the health ministry about the Act. 

Although FSSAI chairman K Chandramouli wasn’t in favour of any review of the Act, his views were overruled by the representation by the FBO.

Meanwhile, Dr Vardhan said that there could not be a second opinion on food safety. “This is absolutely needed, and there should be the highest possible standards for the same,” he added. 

“Also the food industry needs to survive. That is also vital. But in the name of survival, permitting substandard or unhealthy foods is unacceptable,” the minister said.

“There has to be a balance between providing safe food to the people and ensuring that safety mechanisms are taken care of without any bias and prejudice against anybody,” Dr Vardhan said.

It is pertinent to mention here that the steps taken by FSSAI in recent times have raised eyebrows, particularly as far as the communication gap is concerned.

FBO have always rued that the apex food regulator had not opened a proper communication channel, so their voices were not heard. 

Also lately, product approval had become a bone of contention between the food industry and FSSAI. The matter was also raised in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). 

Moreover, a number of litigations were also filed, challenging the way FSSAI conducted its activities, including issuing advisories.

Food Processing: What FBOs Must Do To Succeed?

Ministry of Food Processing Industry in harmonization with some other organizations and Ministries is planning to expand India’s potential in the food processing sector. For this improvements are needed in

hygiene standards in food processing facilities

food safety and quality

agricultural waste utilization

enforcement of regulations

technology

Food processing is defined as a physical or chemical intervention that transforms agricultural or horticultural raw material. Preparation and processing techniques play a vital role in keeping away hazards in this long process from raw material to final food product. The food processing business operator must ensure that FSSAI laid down norms in preparation, processing or cooking of foods are effectively enforced so that hazards are eliminated. The steps to be followed begin at the raw material stage and continue into the whole process so that food does not get contaminated at any stage.

Since consumer safety is a prime concern there is a provision for penalty, if processed food is found to be contaminated. The industry must have safety systems and controls in place and must strictly enforce regulations. If any person, “whether by himself or by any other person on his behalf, manufactures or processes any article of food for human consumption under unhygienic or unsanitary conditions, shall be liable to a penalty which may extend to one lakh rupees”.

Adding preservatives and food additives are common in the food processing industry but these need to be added keeping the regulations in mind. Sometimes these additives could render the commodity toxic and unsafe if proper care is not taken. Articles of food cannot contain any additive or ‘processing aid’ unless it is in accordance with provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Processing aid is any non – consumable item which is used in the “raw materials & ingredients to fulfill certain technological purpose during treatment or processing and which may result in the non-intentional but unavoidable presence of residues or derivatives in the final product”.

Nutraceuticals have become an important food product in the food industry. Since FSSAI is still in the process of making standards for nutraceuticals, it rests on the manufacturer in the processing industry to ensure that nutraceutical ingredients are in line with regulations and food product approvals have been obtained. Since there is still ambiguity about the standards for nutraceutical products, the responsibility rests with the food processors of the existing products to use the label correctly. Herbals, medicines or ingredients that are not consumable extracts must not be labeled as nutraceuticals. Making tall claims about the efficacy of nutraceuticals on labels is also a practice that can mislead the consumer.

If all FBOs in the food processing industry address these concerns then they will continue to enjoy consumer confidence. Any shift in meeting standards or playing with consumer safety will damage the bottom line success of the food processing business.

FDA warns against adulterated sweets and Chinese milk

PUNE: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has intensified vigilance to prevent sale of adulterated sweets and Chinese milk products in the city during Diwali.

Import of milk and its products from China has been banned in the country, since melamine, a harmful chemical, was found in some its dairy products.

"Our officials have already started conducting random inspections and on-the-spot tests to check quality of milk and products like khoya and ingredients like rawa, maida and other variety of flours used in making sweets. Vigilance has also been intensified to check whether Chinese milk products are being sold in a clandestine manner," said Shashikant Kekare, joint commissioner (food), FDA, Pune

Ban on import of Chinese milk products has been extended for one more year from June 23, 2014 across the country. The banned items include chocolates and its products, candies, confectionery and food preparations with milk and milk solids.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country's food regulatory body, has made it clear that the ban will continue 'unless there are dependable reports about significant improvement in the situation'.

"The ban has come in force since September 2008 and has been extended periodically. The ban has been extended by one more year, from June 23, 2014, since there have been doubts about any improvement in the quality of milk from China. Action will be initiated against those found selling the banned products," Kekare said.

Our officials have already started conducting random inspections and on-the-spot tests to check quality of milk and products like khoya and ingredients like rawa, maida and other variety of flours used in making sweets

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் ஆய்வு

விக்கிரவாண்டி: விக்கிரவாண்டி கடைவீதியில் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அதிகாரிகள் ஆய்வு செய்தனர். தமிழ்நாடு உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் மருந்து நிர்வாக துறை மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் ஆறுமுகம் தலைமையில் பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் ரவிக்குமார், பாரதி, பன்னீர் செல்வம் , கதிரவன் ஆகியோர் நேற்று காலை விக்கிரவாண்டி கடைவீதியில் உள்ள மளிகை, டீக்கடை, ஓட்டல் ,பங்க் கடைகளில் திடீர் ஆய்வு செய்தனர். ஆய்வில் கலாவதியான உணவு பொருட்கள், புகையிலையை பறிமுதல் செய்து கடைக்காரர்களை எச்சரித்தனர்.

காலாவதி உணவு பொருட்கள் 60 கிலோ பறிமுதல் அதிகாரிகள் அதிரடி

விக்கிரவாண்டி, அக். 9:

விக்கிரவாண்டியில் காலவதியான 60 கிலோ உணவு பொருட்களை அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.

விக்கிரவாண்டியில் தமிழ்நாடு உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மற்றும் மருந்து நிர்வாக துறையின் விழுப்புரம் மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் ஆறுமுகம் தலைமையில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் ரவிக்குமார், பாரதி, பன்னீர்செல்வம், கதிரவன், ஆகியோர் கொண்ட குழுவினர் கடைகள், டீக்கடை, உணவகங்கள் மற்றும் பெட்டிகடைகளில் திடீரென ஆய்வு மேற்கொண்டனர்.

ஆய்வில் காலாவதியான உணவு பொருட்கள் உள்ளதா, அரசால் தடை செய்யப்பட்ட பொருட்கள் அனுமதியின்றி விற்கப்படுகிறதா? என சோதனையிட்டனர். அப்போது காலவதியான மாவு பொருட்கள், சமையல் எண்ணெய், டால்டா, தேயிலைதூள் என 60 கிலோ உணவு பொருட்களை பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.

தடை விதிக்கப்பட்ட புகையிலை பொருட்களை விற்றால் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு விதிகளின்படி கடுமையான நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என எச்சரித்தனர்.

விக்கிரவாண்டியில் காலாவதியான உணவு பொருட்களை மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் ஆறுமுகம் தலைமையிலான குழுவினர் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.

கலப்பட தேயிலை, ஈ மொய்க்கும் வடைகள் வடசேரி பஸ் நிலைய ஓட்டல்களில் சுகாதாரமின்றி தயாராகும் உணவுகள் அதிகாரிகள் சோதனையில் அம்பலம்

நாகர்கோவில், அக்.8:

நாகர்கோவில் வடசேரி பஸ் நிலைய ஓட்டல்கள் சிலவற்றில் சுகாதாரமின்றி உணவுகள் தயாரிக்கப் படுவது தெரிய வந்துள்ளது. அதிகாரிகள் சில ஓட்டல்களுக்கு 15 நாட்கள் கெடு விதித்துள்ளனர்.

நாகர்கோவில் வடசேரி பஸ் நிலையத்துக்கு உள்ளூர் மற்றும் வெளியூர்களில் இருந்து தினமும் ஆயிரக் கணக்கான பயணிகள் வந்து செல்கிறார்கள். பஸ் நிலையத்தில் பயணிகள் வசதிக்காக ஓட்டல்கள், டீக்கடைகள் உள்ளன. இந்த நிலையில் ஒரு சில ஓட்டல்களில் சுகாதாரமற்ற உணவு பொருட்கள் தயாரிக்கப்படுவதாக உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகளுக்கு தகவல் வந்தது.

அதன் பேரில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் சாலோ டீசன் தலைமையில் அலுவலர்கள் சங்கர நாராயணன், அய்யப்பன், குமார் பாண்டியன், சங்கர், சிதம்பர தாணு ஆகியோர் கொண்ட குழுவினர் நேற்று மதியம் வடசேரி பஸ் நிலைய ஓட்டல்கள், டீக்கடைகளில் அதிரடி சோதனை நடத்தினர்.

இந்த சோதனையில் டீ கடைகள் சிலவற்றில் கலப்பட தேயிலை பயன் படுத்தி வந்தது தெரிய வந்தது. மேலும் வடைகள் மற்றும் பலகாரங்கள் திறந்த வெளியில் ஈ மொய்க்கும் வகையில் விற்பனைக்கு இருந்தன. அதிகாரிகளை பார்த்ததும் பிளாஸ்டிக் பேப்பர்களை வைத்து ஒரு சில கடைகளில் மூடினர். இதை பார்த்த அதிகாரிகள் அந்த வடைகள் மற்றும் பலகார ங்களை கைப்பற்றி குப்பையில் கொட்டி அதன் மேல் பினாயில் ஊற்றினர். காலாவதியான குளிர்பான ங்கள், தண்ணீர் பாட்டில்கள் விற்பனைக்கு இருந்தன. அதையும் அதிகாரிகள் கைப்பற்றி அழித்தனர். மேலும் தமிழக அரசால் தடை செய்யப்பட்ட போதை பாக்குகள், புகையிலை பாக்கெட்டுகளும் விற்பனைக்கு இருந்தன. அதை அதிகாரிகள் கைப்பற்றி தீ வைத்து அழித்தனர். அதிகாரிகளின் இந்த சோதனையால் வடசேரி பஸ் நிலையத்தில் பரபரப்பு ஏற்பட்டது.

இது குறித்து உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர் சாலோ டீசன் கூறுகையில், இனி வாரந்தோறும் இது போன்று திடீர் ஆய்வு மேற்கொள்ளப் படும். இந்த சோதனையில் 6 ஓட்டல்களில் சுகாதாரமற்ற முறையில் உணவுகள் தயாரிக்கப்பட்டது தெரியவந்தது. அந்த ஓட்டல்களுக்கு நோட்டீஸ் கொடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. 15 நாட்களுக்குள் அவர்கள் குறைபாட்டை சரி செய்யா விட்டால் சீல் வைக்கப்படும். பஸ் நிலையத்தில் ஓட்டல்கள் நடத்த உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையிடம் லைசென்சு பெறாமல் உள்ளனர். இதற்கான லைசென்சை உடனடியாக அவர்கள் பெற வேண்டும் என்றும் அறிவுறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது. தீபாவளி பண்டிகை வர இருப்பதால், இனி சிறிய ஓட்டல்கள் மட்டுமின்றி பெரிய ஓட்டல்கள், பேக்கரிகளிலும் சோதனை மேற்கொள்ள முடிவு செய்துள்ளோம் என்றார்.

இஷ்டத்துக்கு தீபாவளி பலகாரம் தயாரிக்க தடை

உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் சாலோ டீசன் மேலும் நிருபர்களிடம் கூறியதாவது :

தீபாவளி பண்டிகை வர இருப்பதால் ஆங்காங்கே சுவீட் வகைகள் தயாரிக்கப்படும். இது போன்ற சுவீட் மற்றும் பலகாரங்கள் தயாரிப்பவர்கள் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையிடம் அனுமதி பெற வேண்டும். எந்த இடத்தில் பலகாரங்கள் தயாரிக்கப்படுகின்றன என்பதை தெரிவிக்க வேண்டும். அனுமதியின்றி சுகாதாரமற்ற முறையில் இனிப்பு வகைகள், பலகாரங்கள் தயாரித்து விற்பனை செய்வது தெரிய வந்தால் கடும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும். பொதுமக்களும் இது பற்றிய புகார்களை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறைக்கு தெரிவிக்கலாம் என்றார்.

Fake sweeteners may up diabetes, obesity risk

Exposure to artificial sweeteners triggered certain changes in intestinal bacteria that resulted in poor sugar control in blood. 

Artificial sweeteners - the supposedly diet-friendly way to satisfy sweet craving - are now getting bad press with a new study putting a big, troubling question mark on their health benefits. 

The study published in Nature found that when healthy mice were administered common artificial sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose and saccharine, the nature of gut bacteria was altered in such a way as to induce glucose intolerance. Simply put, exposure to artificial sweeteners triggered certain changes in intestinal bacteria that resulted in poor sugar control in blood. A badly managed sugar supply in blood directly ups the risk of diabetes and obesity. 

When researchers carried out the same experiment on human volunteers, many of them developed the same intolerance after consuming sweeteners for just one week. Researchers at Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel who conducted the study said they were intrigued by the link between the use of sweeteners and a tendency to develop the very disorders they were designed to prevent. "This calls for reassessment of today's massive, unsupervised consumption of these substances," said Dr Eran Elinav of immunology department who led this research. 

The global low-calorie food market, which uses artificial sweeteners liberally, stood at $7,418 million in 2013. The sweetener market in India is currently worth approximately Rs 150 crore and is seeing double digit growth thanks to the growing population of diabetics. Dr Ambrish Mithal, chairman division (department??) of endocrinology and diabetes at Medanta Gurgaon, admits that the Nature study makes him uncomfortable. "When patients ask us if they should take sweeteners we have always said yes," says Dr Mithal but adds that users need not stop taking sweeteners until the link is clearly established through more and larger studies done on humans. "Right now it has only been proven in mice and suggested in humans," says Dr Mithal. 

Dr Anoop Misra, endocrinologist and chairman Fortis C-Doc, says it's too early to push the panic button but one needs to be cautious. "Although results of this study are significant, these need to be replicated in more studies," says Dr Misra. He, however, adds: "Patients who are battling obesity and diabetes should avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible or take them in very small amounts. In particular, diet beverages which contain these sweeteners should be avoided," says Dr Misra. 

Today, artificial sweeteners are used in an array of commercially produced health foods - drinks, sodas, salad dressings, condiments, jams, jellies, syrups, baked goods, candies etc. Stevia, derived from a herb, is considered to be a safer substitute but doctors refuse to comment on its safety because it hasn't been studied enough. 

Interestingly, just two days after the study appeared in Nature, Coke launched its latest health drink, Zero, in India. Like many other health beverages, Zero contains artificial sweeteners (aspartame and acesulfame-K). According to industry estimates low-cal beverages constitute only 1-2% of the total volume in India. In the US diet sodas make up a third of the total soda market but their consumption has been steadily declining over the past three years, according to Wall Street Journal. 

Sugar Crush 

Aspartame: It is widely used in diet sodas, sauces and salad dressings. It is almost 180 times sweeter than table sugar and closest in taste to it. 

Saccharin: Unlike aspartame, it can be heated and is used in manufacture of sugar-free bakery goods. It is 300 times sweeter than table sugar and has zero calories. 

Sucralose: It is extracted from sugar cane and is almost 600 times sweeter than table sugar. It has zero calories and is used in manufacture of dairy products, syrups, baked goods, chewing gum, jams and jellies. 

Stevia: This sugar substitute is derived from a herb. It is up to 200 times sweeter than table sugar but it leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Shops selling ready-to-cook chapatis under scanner

Shops selling ready-to-cook chapatis have come under the scanner in the city. During a random check, Food Safety officials found addition of non-permitted preservatives to the dough to extend the shelf life of chapatis.

R. Kathiravan, Designated Officer, Food Safety Wing, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, inspected two shops at Saibaba Colony and Rathinapuri on Tuesday.

He said that the Food Safety and Standard (FSS) Act permits only the use of sorbic acid as preservative in ready-to-cook chapatis. And the chapatis must be stored in refrigerated condition under four degrees centigrade to have a shelf life of 15 days. However, many shops were storing the food item in open shelves, which shortens the shelf life of the product to three or four days.

In order to extend the shelf life, benzoic acid or calcium propanate is added to the dough.

Label

The FSS Act has permitted the use of these two compounds only in ginger beer, coffee and ready-to-serve beverages.

Further, the label should also mention the preservative used in the product, he said.

Some manufacturers were also found to be storing chapatis in unhygienic condition, which led to growth of yeast, mould, and bacteria such as e-coli, coli form and salmonella. They can cause gastro-intestinal problems such as diarrhoea beside fever.

Mr. Kathiravan said that microbiological tests conducted on a sample lifted from a supermarket near Sivananda Colony revealed that it was unfit for consumption. The owners of the shops face imprisonment besides a penalty, he said.

Besides chapatis, the officials also checked the quality of ghee sold in the shops.

Mr. Kathiravan said that the drive against food adulteration would be stepped up in the run up to Deepavali.

DAILY THANTHI NEWS

Street food vendor sets hygiene benchmark

His low income worries his wife, peers make fun of him... but that does not deter Dilip Kumar's passion to serve healthy and hygienic food to his customers


31-year-old Dilip Kumar -Nisha Samant

Kumar makes sure that fruits and other edible stuff at his stall are covered at all times -Nisha Samant

Even as per the guidelines of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the food vendors should stick to basic hygiene standards
Donning an apron and a cap with gloves in his hands, Dilip Kumar (31), who sells juice and bhelpuri, an Indian snack, near Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in Karol Bagh, cannot be dismissed as just another street vendor.
A cleanliness freak, Kumar has set a high benchmark for ensuring the safety of street food he sells by using only mineral water for his preparations, apart from using good quality salt and spices. Unlike his peers, he makes sure that fruits and all other edible stuff at his stall are covered at all times. Moreover, he even uses disposable glasses to serve juice to maintain food safety standards.
"I understand the importance of hygiene because I have studied till class 12th, but I had to discontinue my education due to lack of resources,” shares Kumar. Oftentimes, sticking to safety standards reduces the profit margins for Kumar but that does not deter his spirits.
His low income often worries his wife. One of Kumar's two sons is mentally challenged and medical bills add on to family's monthly expenses. "Sometimes my wife gets angry and says that no matter how much I stick to hygiene standards, I would not be able to take care of the family's needs. I try to calm her down saying that I would prove myself one day,” he confides with a smile.
Even the fellow vendors in the area make fun of Kumar when they see him following the standards so seriously. But Kumar explains why he chooses to ignore such people, “The food vendors laughing at me will eventually realise that sticking to food safety standards is good not just for the customers, but also for the vendors as it would restore the confidence in costumers and increase our business.”
Furthermore, Kumar further explains that even as per the guidelines of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) , the vendors should stick to basic hygiene standards – wearing gloves and caps, washing hands before cooking, not picking their noses and not scratching their head or ears.
“But most of the vendors are not aware of the norms, and even those who are aware do not follow the rules,” mentions Kumar.
Kumar has also been invited to give a speech on food safety at National Association of Street Vendors of India's (NASVI) event, for adhering to the FSSAI standards.
But it is surprising that not only the street vendors, but even the customers have often made fun of Kumar for following rules so seriously. “Some customers have even asked me why am I wearing gloves. I tried explaining to them that I was just trying to serve healthy food to them. But it is amusing when the same people tell me – Ye akela banda pagal hogaya hai, gloves pehan ke pata nahi kya saabit Karna chahta hai? (This guy has gone crazy. God knows what does he want to prove by wearing gloves.)” he shares.
However, one of his customers, Ajay Rana who works with pharmaceutical major, Ranbaxy got impressed with Kumar's dedication and passion and now he is a regular customer. "As a customer we want fresh and hygienic street food. I prefer coming to him because he gives fresh juice and while preparing lemon juice he never uses spoiled lemon. I often pat his back for the good work,” he says.
Another regular customer, Manish, points out, “Many doctors, nurses, patients attendants and others prefer his juice and bhelpoori .His rates are also reasonable. It's very rare that we get to eat street food that is both hygienic and reasonable.”
Despite giving so much importance to cleanliness and hygiene, Kumar has no permanent place to set up his stall."I have all the legal papers where the court has mentioned that until the new vendor committee is formed, I should not be displaced. Despite that I am often made fun of when I run with my cart to escape from the MCD van. They say-- Achhe kaam karane wale ke sath yahi hota hai' (Those who do good all the time, end up like this).” he confesses.
"My only request to authorities is that if some one wants to do a good work, they should encourage them because conducive and stable environment is important for us to earn our livelihood,” he adds.
Even if people do not acknowledge his efforts, it goes without saying that street vendors like Kumar serve as an inspiration for other vendors and make sure that street food lovers can enjoy hygienic street food.

DINAMALAR NEWS