AUTHORITIES CLUELESS ABOUT FSSAI GUIDELINES

In order to keep a tab on sale of junk food products and rising health problems among the schoolchildren, recently the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued guidelines on sale of junk food items within the radius of 50 metres of school premises. However, so far no initiative has been taken by the authorities to implement the guidelines in the State capital.

FSSAI guidelines restrict sale or availability of food which are high in fat, salt or sugar content within 50 metres of schools’ premises. This includes a wide range of food items & beverages consumed by school children including chips, noodles, pizzas, burgers, soft drinks, fries etc.

The FSSAI have issued guidelines on availability of wholesome and nutritious food in schools to control junk food consumption among children.

Unaware about the FSSAI guidelines on junk food sale, Director Health Services, Dr Praveen Chandra, said, “Presently we have not received any guideline from the FSSAI regarding the sale of junk food. Once we receive the directives from the concerned authorities, we are going to implement it. The food safety officers will be instructed to make regular inspection around the radius of 50 metres of school premises.”

“Currently we only have tobacco control guidlines. Moreover, the department also keeps advertising on issue of hazardous effects of junk food. Apart from the FSSAI guidelines it is also important for the guardians to create awareness regarding the ill-effects of junk food,” Chandra further added.

The FSSAI guideline also suggests creation of a canteen policy and school health education programmes for awareness. “I am not aware about the FSSAI guidelines but CBSE too had issued one circular few years ago. Since then our school management is following strict rules regarding this aspect. We conduct regular parents meet and have given instructions to the teachers to check student lunch boxes. Regular inspection is done upto class 8. As far as canteen is concerned we have restricted the sale of chips and cold drinks,” said Principal of Oxford Public School, AK Singh.

“I try giving only nutritious food items in lunch box but it is very common for the children to consume junk food inside school canteen. This can only be checked by school administration. The school should completely put a ban on sale of junk food items in canteen apart from putting other restrictions of junk food sale within radius of 50 meters of school,” said Mitali Dey, a concerned mother.

The FSSAI issued the guidelines after the Delhi High Court’s directive on sale of junk food products.

Sweet indulgence can turn sour

AHMEDABAD: As he countdown to Diwali picks pace and free indulgence of the sweet ooth is expected, it's time that you make a closer look at what's on your platter. And with palate and tradition o egg us on, most of us down many chocolates, laddus, kaju katris, fafdas and jalebis during this festive season without realizing the danger that awaits us. In Rajkot for instance the municipal corporation seized 255 kilograms of fake butter' on Friday . All that butter was waiting to be supplied to sweet hops. The ingredients were, vegetable ghee, ,mixed with white colour and soya bean oil. Each of tinned containers seized was sold at Rs 1,600."We have not deciphered the chemical nature of the white color. We suspect t to be a banned substance," says a senior Rajkot Municipal Corporation RMC) health official. 

In Ahmedabad on Wednesday more han 100 workers and officials of Cadila Pharmaceuticals Ltd at their Dholka plant were taken ill by food poisoning.The patients had complained of nausea, vomiting and acute abdominal pain.They had consumed 'Dudhi ka Halwa' which used contaminated mawa. 

A low conviction rate in food adulteration cases has now become a major worry for many municipal corporations as there are several nstances of repeat offenders in each city. In Ahmedabad for instance there has been just one conviction in the entire year and that too of a ghee sample that was taken in 2011. As per the Food Safety and Standards Act punishments for mislabeling, adulterating or sale of unsafe food can range from six months in jail to life imprisonment, and fines up to Rs 10 lakh. 

But the Act is useless unless courts act fast. There are close to 100 cases in which food samples have failed laboratory tests and are pending hearing with the Ahmedabad resident district collector. Another major issue is of mushrooming of unlicensed sweet shops in many Gujarat cities. In Ahmedabad for instance there are more than 1,000 such shops while in Surat there are 500 such major shops. "Most of these sweet shops are do not have building use permissions and hence under the present food safety Act they cannot be recognized as authorized sellers," says a senior AMC health official. 

Times View 

Extremely low conviction rates in food adulteration raises a finger towards a weak enforcement and will to book culprits. There is no denying the fact that health officials file cases against adulterators , but it is often seen that the evidence does not convince our courts. It is important now that special courts consisting of food safety experts be instituted to try adulteration cases. 

"Can't adhere to safety standards always" 

AHMEDABAD Surprising as it may seem, several sweet mart owners in city had bluntly told the AMC that raiding their shops or quality checks was unjust due to commotion during festivals. They had also given a written representation saying that safety standards have to be given a go by sometimes. They had made this representation just two days before Dusshera when AMC teams had collected 91 samples of sweets, mawa and farsan. Of these, 16 were found "unsafe", 13 cases pertained to false claims of nutrition and one sample tested unsafe. Laboratory tests on 400 other samples are pending. 

Maximum adulteration in mawa 

VADODARA: The civic body in city has only recently stepped up its drive to collect and check samples of food items ahead of the festive season. Officials of said that the highest adulteration was found in milk products including mava.Like every year, the VMC took samples of fafda-jalebi ahead of Dussehra and other sweet and savories during Rakshabandhan and Diwali. Besides adulteration, a major issue being faced was that of use of stale raw materials and unhygienic storage conditions . VMC's health officer Dr Mukesh Vaidya said that the sellers were still relying on old methods for adulteration. 

It's margarine not butter! 

SURAT: No amount of butter is enough for Surtis who gorge on dosas, sandwiches and paav bhaji at roadside eateries. Most foodies ask for an extra dollop. But not many know that it's not butter but table margarine that they are gulping down. Nearly 5,000 road side eateries in the Diamond City pass off table margarine as butter. Interestingly, SMC food department has provided license to just two agencies to supply table margarine in the city. "We are investigating as to how such huge quantity of margarine comes to the city as very few buy from registered margarine sellers," says KG Patel of SMC.

FOOD SAFETY OFFICIALS IN SLUMBER DURING PUJA

It is common to find vendors selling edible items outside the puja pandals but the main question arises are these food items checked according to the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) norms.

The food safety officers were unable to conduct the inspection this year during the Durga puja. However, the letter for conducting inspection was issued by the Health Department before the Durga puja started.

Citing details about the (FSSAI) guideline, Director Health Services Dr Pravin Chandra said, “The registrations of the street food vendors are mandatory. In exercise of the powers conferred under section 92 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI has proposed Draft of Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2010 under which Part 3.2 makes it mandatory for all Food Business Operators in the country to be registered or licensed in accordance with the procedures laid down in the regulation.”

“We have also issued a circular for all Food Safety Officers to conduct an inspection drive in there respective areas. Those vendors who come from other places have to get temporary registration from the local authorities. It is mandatory for vendors to have ID proofs with them,” Chandra further added.

However, the Food Safety Officer Gulab Lakra informed, “Last year the inspection was conducted but this year we just collected samples from the sweet shops owners, betel shops owners. We were unable to inspect the vendors this year. However, the officials will form teams for the upcoming Diwali festival.”

Stating about the circular Lakra said, “We received the letter from the concerned department after the Durga puja. Now I am waiting for the instructions from the authorities to conduct a meeting and form teams, so that the inspection can be conducted on the regular basis even for the vendors.”

Moreover, when contacted the other two Food Safety Officials on the matter, the officials were unavailable for the comment.

As many as 125 puja pandals are constructed for the auspicious occasion of Durga puja in the city and maximum numbers of vendors come from the adjoining areas too to earn money during the peak season.

The Registration of the food vendors has started since April 2014 in various cities across India.

Food safety regulator spots few grains of real dal in hostel dal, sends the sample to forensic department for further testing

Rourkela: Food safety regulator does not want to take any more chance after Maggi and Dadri episodes. As per the Indian food safety act 2006, the regulator needs to take proactive steps to check the food quality served in different places like hotels, hostels or the packaged foods which are readily available.

Mess cooks working hard to ensure that the Tur dal to water ratio remains 1:15

According to our sources recently the regulator did a surprise raid on Hostel number 12 mess of NIT, Rourkela. During check they found all the food materials are up to the standard expected from hostel food except dal which looked like containing too many real grains of Tur dal.

Looking at the cost of Tur Dal that is running now and historically the density usually maintained in hostel dal, this was a big surprise for the food safety regulator team and they gave special focus to the dal during their raid.

MTech Student Bhola Shankar who is a regular late comer to the mess explained to us the scenario as it unfolded on the day of the raid.

Bhola said, “Being a lazy person, on Saturday and Sundays before lunch hour, I will not wake up. Last Sunday was terrible for me; there was no water by the time I woke up. As I called the boy in charge of our corridor, he told me lot of extra water has gone to the preparation of dal. Earlier our dal preparation had 1 kg grains for 5 liter of water. Now hostel warden has instructed the cook to make the ratio 1:15 as the Tur Dal price has tripled in last few months.”

“When I reached mess, most of items were over except huge quantity of ultra-liquid dal which was left on our table for flies. Somehow I managed with papads which had become soft like rotis and rotis which had become hard like papads, when the raid happened. As some of the team members who have been ex-NITians have stayed in this hostel and have tasted similar food for years, they were surprised as soon as they found five grains dal while lifting a spoon of yellow liquid. This is when they called the hostel mess supervisor and grilled him to know if it’s real dal,” Bhola said.

“Poor supervisor had to show the chart and ratio to the hostel warden and superintendent to convince the raid team. Also he demonstrated the running test of dal which the management asked him to do before food is served to students. Dal should be able to run at least 100 meters if thrown on the floor. Raid team did not want to take it lightly; they decided to send the samples to nearby forensic lab for further testing,” Bhola added.

One of the members of regulator team told us the reason for such strict checking. He said, “We must avoid repeat of Dadri kind of incident in future, Government has empowered us with additional powers so that we can check the food prepared or stored at home. We will not check only hygienic issues which anyway most people are already adhering to after the initiation of swachh bharat abhiyan, in addition we will check what you are eating as per the law or not. The message is loud and clear, Government knows best. They would decide what our citizens will be allowed to eat and what might be bad for their health which they must avoid at any cost.”

Nestle is ready to restart plant at Maulinguem

Panaji: Nestle has written to the food safety and standard authority of India (FSSAI), Mumbai, informing them that it is ready to start the process to resume production of Maggi noodles at their Maulinguem plant.

A copy has been marked on Friday to food and drugs administration (FDA), Goa, along with reports of fresh safety tests.

The production at Nestle's Goa plant was stopped following a directive by FSSAI. The production of Maggi noodles at the Goa plant was stopped along with other states earlier this year. The FSSAI had said tests taken from across the country had found lead exceeding the permissible limits in 15 of 29 samples.

Samples which had been drawn by FDA Goa and which were independently tested at its laboratory as well outside Goa, had no negative reports.

Confirming the receipt of the communication from Nestle, Salim Veljee, FDA director, told TOI on Friday that Nestle is not required to take permission from the Goa FDA.

Nestle, apparently is gearing up to start production again, after the Bombay high court set aside the countrywide ban on nine variants of Nestle's Maggi instant noodles.

The court has however ordered Nestle India to conduct fresh safety tests on the product before relaunching it.

Over 300 contractors at Maulinguem plant who lost their employment after the production at the plant stoppped, have been agitating demanding that they be taken into service again.

Samples which had been drawn by FDA Goa and which were independently tested at its laboratory as well outside Goa, had no negative reports.

FSSAI invites suggestions on standards for alcoholic beverages

New Delhi, Oct 23 (PTI) Food regulator FSSAI has invited comments and suggestions from stakeholders on the proposed standards for alcoholic beverages, including beer and brandy, in the next two months.

The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) today issued a notice inviting claims, suggestions, views and comments from stakeholders within 60 days on proposed standards for alcoholic beverages.

The regulator has issued standards for both distilled and un-distilled alcoholic beverages.

Earlier this year, a meeting of the Central Advisory Committee had also discussed having standards for alcohol and alcoholic beverages.

It was also decided that once standards for alcohol and alcoholic beverages were finalised, it shall be intimated to all States and UTs so that they may suitably advise the respective excise departments.

Mother Dairy, ITC start selling items on safety plank

LT Foods that sells Dawat brand of rice, for example, will market its soon-to-be-launched atta (flour) brand as toxic metal free.

NEW DELHI: Some food processing companies now brand their products as 'adulterant free' and 'toxic metal free', and work with farmers to ensure quality raw material, to differentiate themselves amid increasing consumer awareness and safety concerns.

LT Foods that sells Dawat brand of rice, for example, will market its soon-to-be-launched atta (flour) brand as toxic metal free. "We will be launching our atta under the Devaaya brand. It will be branded as lead free and will resonate our company's philosophy of selling safe produce," said Vivek Chandra, chief executive officer for global branded business at LT Foods.

Shakti Bhog Foods, Mother Dairy, Cargill India and ITC are among other companies that have started branding their products as safe and chemicals free, or working closely with farmers to ensure quality and safety.

"Companies who are just entering the sector or a product category might highlight food safety as product differentiator while marketing. It wasn't used till a year ago but now it is used," said Siraj Chaudhary, chairman at Cargill India.

The company in July started a Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan to promote awareness around food safety for all. "Cargill believes that food safety is a shared responsibility of the farmers, the food industry, regulators as well as consumers," Chaudhary said.

Consumer concerns over food safety have been rising in the country in recent months, particularly after Food Safety and Standards Authority of India banned Nestle's popular instant noodle brand Maggi.

While the Bombay High Court lifted the ban and Nestle is readying to relaunch the instant noodle brand after it proved safe in review tests mandated by the court, the controversy and FSSAI's recent actions against several products helped increase overall consumer awareness about food safety, industry insiders said.

LT Foods' Chandra said the company will work with farmers in Madhya Pradesh during this Rabi season to ensure quality products. "India consumer wants safe and healthy produce which we will ensure," he said.

KK Kumar, managing director at Shakti Bhog Foods, said companies are now working to bring global standards to India. "There is a focus to sell quality produce and consumers are now demanding it strongly," he said.

Kumar said the moisture level in Shakti Bhog flour is only 10.5%, much lower than the 14% limit prescribed by the government. In the past, Tata group had branded its i-Shakti Dals as being much more nutritious and tastier because they did not use polished or damaged pulses, artificial stone powder, colour, or oil.

Similarly, Mother Dairy markets its pulses brand as being unpolished. "Most of the people may be aware that colours, chemicals and metals are part of the food and fruit we eat. What needs to be highlighted now is that the shining white ginger sold in the Delhi market may have got an acid wash or the brinjal must have got a colour wash," said a marketing official of a leading national retail chain.

Food companies said governments, farmers and companies need to work together to ensure quality of food. The challenge in the country is much larger than what few companies can do for their brand and sourcing. The government needs to address the larger challenge like mapping of soil or water quality in this country," said Rajnikant Rai, COO for agribusiness division at ITC.

ET View: Strengthen Regulation To Make Food Safe

Companies must ensure standards on food safety. The controversy over Maggi has reinforced the need to protect consumer interests, though it is a fact that only some laboratories found the noodles to be unsafe. Therefore, it is imperative for the government and the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to ensure that all labs which analyse the chemical composition of food are competent. The certified laboratories must have robust sampling procedures and be adequately staffed to keep an eye on foods across the country.

Inspectors endorse government hostel food mess

PUNE: Boycotting poor quality food prepared allegedly in unhygienic condition, residents of the state-run Sant Dnyaneshwar Boys' Hostel on Thursday threatened to launch an agitation if the issue was not resolved.

The students claimed that they could not even stand the smell of the food dished out to them on Thursday, forget eating. The officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) validated their claim following an inspection of the cooking area in the hostel on the premises of the social welfare commissionerate.

The FDA officials confirmed that the conditions at the hostel mess were unhealthy .They would issue a show-cause notice to the food contractor for violating the food safety norms.

Abhijit Lokhande, an engineering student who stays at the hostel, said, "The food is cooked at the hostel mess in an unhealthy condition. On Thursday, the food served to us was stinking. Hence, we walked out of the mess. Some of us even found ants and pests on chapatis. We have decided to boycott the hostel food."

Lokhande alleged that the cook at the mess was an alcoholic. "He prepares food in inebriated state. When we complain, he hurls abuses at us and even threatens to beat up us."

The state's social welfare department pays Rs 4,300 per month per student to the food contractor for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Usually , breakfast comprises two eggs, an apple, a banana, poha (beaten rice flakes) and milk. Lunch and dinner consist of two vegetable dishes, chapatti, lentil (dal) and rice.

"Food items given for breakfast are usually of poor quality . Fruits are small in size.Even crushed fruits are served at times. Milk has no taste," said Ramdas Nirgude, another resident of the hostel.

Echoing Ramdas, another student said, "Chapatis given in lunch and dinner are often hard and difficult to chew. At times, there is hardly any lentil in dal or and on other occasions it is used in excess."

The food contractor is awarded the work contract every year. The mess staff consists of a cook for preparing vegetables, three woman assistants for rolling chapattis and a supervisor to oversee the work, bring vegetable and other cooking items.

"The present food contractor got the contract last Diwali. We have been complaining against his food quality for long. But nothing has happened. Today's (Thursday's) food was simply unpalatable," said another student.

The officials of the FDA inspected the hostel mess soon after they leant about the students' protest. "There is no denying the fact that the food is cooked at the hostel mess in a very unhygienic condition. The drainage line right outside the mess emits nauseating stench. Besides, the cooking area is unhealthy .But we did not find ants and pests in the food prepared, as claimed by the students. We shall show-cause the food contractor for cooking food in insanitary conditions," said Dinkar Mirajkar, the assistant commissioner (food) of FDA, Pune.

On if the officials had collected food samples for test, Mirajkar said, "We carried out visual inspection. Barring unhygienic condition, we didn't find any problem with the prepared food. Hence, we did not collect any sample of prepared food items."

Mumbai-based Crystal Gourmet Pvt Limited was awarded the food contract for all the 13 hostels of the social welfare department in Pune, including Sant Dnyaneshwar Boys' Hostel.

Prateek Jadhav, an employee of the company who looks after the operations for the 13 hostels in Pune, said, "We are trying to improve the food quality. The students' complaints have increased over the last two months but those are mainly against the cook. I ha ve informed my higher authorities about it as well as the FDA inspection. I am not well. Hence, can't say much about the food prepared today ."

Girish Tike, the branch manager of Crystal Gourmet Pvt Ltd, said, "We are using food ingredients of the highest quality and we never compromise on food safety norms. Some students in the hostel blow up minor issues out of proportion. Our payments are delayed for months, but we don't complain. We try our best to provide the best possible service."

Prasad Lad, the proprietor of Crystal Gourmet Pvt Ltd, said, "I have never been informed about the students' complaints. I will personally look into the issue. Things will be rectified soon."

Hostel's rector Deepak Sawant could not be contacted.

ASCI looks to broaden ties with government

MoUs with health ministry and Trai on the cards; it has signed one with FSSAI for directly processing complaints 

The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is likely to soon sign agreements with the Union health ministry and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, seeking to expand its role.

It had recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India, allowing it to directly process complaints received by the latter on misleading advertisements.

The ad regulator is also a partner of the Union department of consumer affairs, acting on allegedly misleading ads received by the latter, on a website promoted for the purpose. This website, operational for a few months, allows consumers to complain about any ad in any medium across categories.

Persons in the know say segments such as health and telecom have seen some serious ad violations of late, prompting the move by ASCI. It recently rapped Bharti Airtel, asking the firm to withdraw its 4G speed challenge ad for being misleading. Similar action was taken against ads by Idea and Vodafone.

ASCI completed 30 years of existence this month. It begins a year-long celebration of the milestone, with seminars, workshops and events. “The objective is to continue our initiative of increasing the awareness about misleading ads, how to complain about these and what are the avenues available to consumers, as well as industry, to do so,” says Shweta Purandare, secretary-general of ASCI.

The self-regulatory body will also step up efforts to educate creators of ads about the ASCI Code and what constitutes an inappropriate one. “We are not here to tell the creative community their job. This effort is simply intended to sensitise them about how to avoid misleading or tall claims in the ads they create that can harm consumer interest," Purandare said.

The ad regulator is also likely to renew its contract with TAM for monitoring print and television ads. Inked in 2012, the arrangement for a three-year period had seen the scanning of about 10,000 print ads and 350 on TV each week. This had allowed ASCI to catch errant advertisers in small towns and cities, taking action against them on its own, said persons in the know.

The body is also looking for a digital agency to monitor online ads, a space rapidly seeing incidents of tall or misleading claims by established brands and e-tailers.

Recently, ASCI said it had upheld complaints against 82 campaigns in June, for misleading consumers. It issues news of action taken against brands with a lag. Names such as Flipkart, Uber and Snapdeal had figured prominently in the list of errant advertisers for June, beside brands such as Vodafone, L'Oreal, Fortis Healthcare and Pernod Ricard. June’s action had followed what the body had done for May, when major advertisers such as Hindustan Unilever, Dabur, VLCC and Aptech were pulled up.

Purandare says most big brands and advertisers do modify ads when the body writes to them, at times within days of the misleading or errant ad being released. This is unlike in the past, when ASCI was accused of acting too late, well after the ad had run its course. Speedy action follows ASCI moving from a monthly to a fortnightly to now a weekly cycle of addressing complaints.

The number of complaints to the body against misleading ads has also shot up almost 13-fold in the past three years, from 148 in 2011. This calendar year could see ASCI touching the 2,000-mark in complaints received.

KEEPING A CLOSE EYE 

• Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) is also a partner of the Union department of consumer affairs, acting on allegedly misleading ads received by the latter
• ASCI recently rapped Bharti Airtel, asking the firm to withdraw its 4G speed challenge ad for being misleading
• The ad regulator is also likely to renew its contract with TAM for monitoring print and television ads
• The body is also looking for a digital agency to monitor online ads

Post Maggi row, centre mulls rule on printing Helpline Nos. on Food Packets

 

Noodle flap lands regulator in hot water

Instant noodles, especially Maggi-brand products, are extremely popular in India. 

MUMBAI -- Nestle India is preparing to resume production and sales of its mainstay Maggi brand of instant noodles now that a court has overturned a government order to keep the products off store shelves. The focus now is on whether the food safety regulator will accept the decision or defend its sales ban, which has caused huge losses for many businesses.

A neighborhood grocery store in northern Mumbai has seen instant noodle sales tumble 30% since it stopped stocking Maggi noodles about five months ago.

The store carries other brands, such as the Sunfeast Yippee line from major local player ITC, but "customers still ask for Maggi noodles even now," the owner said.

The saga began in early June, when the government ordered Nestle India to stop production and sales of Maggi noodles, alleging that the products contained hazardous levels of lead. The company objected to the charge, filing a motion at the Bombay High Court.

The court ruled in August that Nestle India could resume sales of the noodles if they were deemed safe by three court-approved testing facilities.

Nestle India's Maggi-brand instant noodles command an 80% market share. © Reuters 

The company issued a statement on Oct. 16 reiterating its assertion that its noodles pose no health threat. According to the statement, the lead content of its instant noodles was proven to be far lower than maximum allowable level under the country's food safety laws. Nestle India also said it would immediately begin production so that it could resume sales.

Major damage

Nestle products have been available in India for over a century and have become part people's daily lives there. Of all the company's offerings, Maggi noodles are by far its most important. The brand commands about 80% of the market and generates roughly a quarter of Nestle India's sales. It is no surprise, then, that the recall order dealt a huge blow to the company's earnings. Nestle India reported a net loss in the April-June quarter.

But the impact has gone beyond just Nestle India. Soon after issuing the production and sales ban, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India published a document outlining plans to test instant noodles from six other companies.

The document also said that all products that have yet to receive final approval would be deemed illegal. This went against the FSSAI's existing stance that makers can produce and sell products while awaiting approval.

Scrambling to respond to the regulator's about-face, the local unit of Anglo-Dutch daily products giant Unilever and Japan's Nissin Foods Holdings recalled their instant noodles voluntarily.

This led to a 90% plunge in noodle sales to 300 million rupees ($4.98 million) over a one-month period starting in early June, according to the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India.

"Indian people's awareness toward food safety has been growing sharply, particularly among the middle class," a nutrition consultant in Delhi said. "This shift is one of the reasons why the news reports of hazardous levels of lead in the Maggi noodles created such a strong response nationwide."

But various testing facilities, including one in Singapore, where Indian-made Maggi noodles are sold, started countering the FSSAI's allegation, saying they found nothing wrong with the noodles.

As a different picture began emerging, public anger at Nestle India quickly turned toward the government. And resentment over the food safety body's sudden rule change for noodle makers is still smoldering.

Lack of clarity

The FSSAI's test results differed from those of overseas labs because of the organization's lack of food-testing know-how, said Deven Choksey, CEO of Kisan Ratilal Choksey Shares & Securities. He added that while the regulator's handling of the matter has been immature, debacles like the Maggi case will probably decrease over time.

The FSSAI has not yet publicly commented on the court-ordered test results, so it is unclear whether it intends to continue pursuing the case or drop it. This means Nestle India may not be able to resume production and sales as smoothly as it hoped.

Amit Khurana, an expert on food safety issues at India's Centre for Science and Environment, does not think India has seen the end of the Maggi issue, saying lingering problems remain unresolved.

This lack of clarity from the government is a major problem that foreign companies in India have faced time and again. In the case of the sales ban on Maggi noodles, the FSSAI must clearly state its case.

Without such basic action, the dispute will likely tarnish the business-friendly image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration and hurt the government's efforts to boost foreign investment.

DINAMALAR NEWS

After Maggi let's get facts right on MSG

Food body to ask labs to share Maggi test reports

 

 Days after Nestle India kicked-off its relaunch campaign for Maggi, claiming that their product was safe based on test results from some laboratories, the country’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), has decided to direct the laboratories to share the recent Maggi test reports.

Nestle India claimed that Maggi has cleared all tests prescribed by the court after the court in August asked Nestle to get samples tested at specified laboratories to ensure that they conform to safety standards.

Ashish Bahuguna, chairperson, FSSAI, told this newspaper that the details of the analyses had so far not been shared with FSSAI by either Nestle or the laboratories. “Though Nestle is claiming that their product is safe, nonetheless our concern is that whatever are the results, we should be informed about them. We have decided to write to the laboratories to share the results,” he said.

FSSAI had in June this year ordered Maggi to be recalled after tests in some laboratories had shown lead levels above the permissible limit. Nestle India, which manufactures Maggi, challenged the ban in the Bombay high court. In August the court lifted the ban but asked the company to get the samples tested at specified laboratories. Nestle recently approached the court claiming that the laboratories had cleared the samples. Soon the manufacturers launched a campaign explaining that all is well with their product as around 3,500 samples of noodles were put to rigorous tests in India and in countries like Australia, UK, Canada, the US and Singapore.

A “comeback” doesn’t look easy, though. Three days after the news broke, Maharashtra food and civil supplies minister Girish Bapat had announced the decision to challenge the lifting of the ban.

FSSAI chairperson Ashish Bahuguna said the company will have to wait for some more time. “We are not challenging the decision of the court. But the manufacturers look in a hurry to get their product back. It is a matter of procedure, and, at the end of the day, we are concerned about the safety of the product. If the laboratories confirm that the product is safe, Nestle is free to manufacture,” added Mr Bahuguna.

Act against officials okaying unsafe food products, U.P. told

A sting operation had allegedly shown officials demanding bribes

The Centre on Wednesday sought a detailed report from Uttar Pradesh government and directed it to take action against the guilty in a sting operation by a TV channel which allegedly showed officials demanding bribes to approve unsafe food products.

This comes after Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda took cognizance of the matter and directed officials to take up the issue with state officials while stating that there is “zero” tolerance against corruption.

Following this, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an advisory to the U.P. chief secretary seeking a report and to ensure the establishment of a review and monitoring mechanism to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the state.

“There is zero tolerance against corruption in the Health Ministry,” the Minister said even as he told officials that the Centre will provide all necessary assistance to the state.

On Tuesday, a leading television channel had conducted a sting operation in which it claimed that food safety officers demanded bribe for approving sale of various food products.

Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry statement said that FSSAI has clarified that the officials who have figured in the sting operation are not working in FSSAI but are employees of the state government.

The FSSAI advisory by its chairman Ashish Bahuguna, which is in possession of PTI, said that the sting operation not only depicts the food safety department and state government in “poor” light but also casts a shadow over FSSAI’s “concerted” efforts to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

“I shall be grateful if you could kindly direct your officers to send me a detailed report on the above incident and take the strongest possible action against official found guilty of corrupt practices... and ensure the establishment of a review and monitoring mechanism so as to prevent recurrence of such cases in the future,” the FSSAI advisory said.

Sources in the Health Ministry said that immediately after the matter came to light, Mr Nadda took stock of the situation and issued directives to officials to look into the matter. 

“There is zero tolerance against corruption in the Health Ministry,” says Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda

Maggi episode reinforces need for upgrading food safety standards

The tests done on Maggi at three government-accredited laboratories — in Hyderabad, Jaipur and Mohali — have vindicated the stand of Nestle chief executive officer Paul Bulcke, who had said at the time of the ban on the fast-food that there was no excessive lead in it.

The laboratories, under instructions from the Bombay high court, found the lead content below the permissible limits in all the 90 samples sent to it. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had banned Maggi in June. However, quashing the ban in August, the court said: “Principles of natural justice have not been followed before passing the impugned order and on that ground alone impugned orders are liable to be set aside, particularly when the petitioner (Nestle India), had given a press release that it had recalled the product …” The court had also said the food labs under the FSSAI were not “authorised” to do the tests.

This gives rise to many worrying problems. If the action of the FSSAI in performing the basic tests has been called into question by the court, it’s time for the government and the minister concerned, Ram Vilas Paswan, to take immediate action. After all it was Mr Paswan who had ordered the tests on Maggi. The UP Food and Drug Administration, the first organisation to raise an alarm over Maggi, on its part also did some tests. And if according to the court the FSSAI labs are not authorised to perform the tests, then who is supposed to do them? Did the FSSAI not do due diligence?

The matter had been referred also to the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission. Not much was heard thereafter. Shortly before the quashing of the ban by the court, Prime Minister Narendra Modi rightly asked his colleagues not to make “unnecessary fuss over the ban” till all the facts came to light. In that case, why was the ban imposed in the first place, more so in view of the fact that Nestle had agreed to recall the Maggi packets?

This paper had said at the time of the ban that India’s entire food chain was toxic and probably it might even be too late now to reverse the trend. After all that has happened since then, it must be reiterated that not only the regulator but also the consumer and manufacturer are made aware of the rules, and the food-testing laboratory infrastructure and skills strengthened and upgraded.

Uttarakhand's ban on Maggi to continue for some time

Even as the Karnataka and Gujarat governments have lifted the ban on sale of Maggi noodles, the Uttarakhand government is not in a hurry to lift the ban on production and sale of Maggi noodles. Nestle's largest manufacturing facility for Maggi in India is located at Pantnagar, Uttarakhand.

Surendra Singh Negi, health minister, Uttarakhand, said the government would wait for the hearing on November 3 in the Uttarakhand High Court at Nainital, pertaining to the Maggi noodles case.

He said the government was also seeking legal advice.

The Uttarakhand food safety department had in June imposed a blanket ban on production of Maggi noodles from the Pantnagar plant, as well as on the marketing and sale in the hill state, after samples of the popular food product failed laboratory tests.

According to the notification issued by food safety commissioner Om Prakash, the ban was to remain in force for 90 days.

However, legal experts say the state government cannot take a decision unless the Uttarakhand High Court takes up the issue on November 3.

"The case is still sub judice as far as the Maggi controversy is concerned," said a top government official.

Nestle had started production of Maggi noodles in 2006 from the Pantnagar factory to take benefit of various incentives available in the state. The plant has been closed since the June ban.

Food safety: FSSAI hastens process to notify draft guidelines

Draft guidelines covering 12,000 items have been put up on FSSAI website for comments from industry

The country's apex food regulator is hastening the notifying of guidelines for proprietary foods, health & dietary supplements, food additives and neutraceuticals.

These items are not covered under the food safety regulations of 2011, which operationalises the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006.

The move to crunch the time required to notify guidelines, which would have otherwise taken at least six to eight months, is expected to go a long way in minimising the confusion and litigation that has been the bane of food safety guidelines in its current form.

The 2011 guidelines cover only 377 items, implying only these are standardised. This saw the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) at loggerheads with packaged food and health care majors. In August this year, the Supreme Court intervened to scrap an "arbitrary" product approval advisory process that FSSAI had devised to clear non-standardised food and health care products.

Since then, FSSAI, under new chairman Ashish Bahuguna, has been at work, talking to companies and industry representatives, persons in the know said.

Draft guidelines that cover about 12,000 ingredients and additives have been put up on the FSSAI website for comments from industry. The last date for doing so is next month for neutraceutical majors. Food companies have till early December, sources said. Then, FSSAI will prepare the final guidelines, to then go for law ministry approval.

Officials say the final guidelines could be notified as early as January next year, bringing India uptodate with international standards under the Codex Alimentarius. The latter is a collection of internationally recognised standards, codes of practice, guidelines and other recommendations on foods, production and safety.

While India is a signatory to the Codex, its norms are yet to be followed here, safety experts said. The draft guidelines, says R K Sanghavi, chairman, neutraceutical sub-committee, Indian Drug Manufacturers Association, would align India with international standards. "The proposed regulations are positive from the point of view of companies, as well as consumers as there will be specific regulations and standards which were hitherto absent," he said.

Sting:Centre asks UP govt to take action against guilty

New Delhi, Oct 21 (PTI) The Centre today sought a detailed report from Uttar Pradesh government and directed it to take strict action against the guilty in the wake of a sting operation by a TV channel which allegedly showed officials demanding bribes to give nod to unsafe food products.

This comes after Union Health Minister J P Nadda took cognizance of the matter and directed officials to take up the issue with state officials while stating that there is "zero" tolerance against corruption.

Following this, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an advisory to the UP chief secretary seeking a report and also to ensure the establishment of a review and monitoring mechanism to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the state.

"There is zero tolerance against corruption in the Health Ministry," the Minister said even as he told officials that the Centre will provide all necessary assistance to the state.

Yesterday, a leading television channel has conducted a sting operation in which it claimed that food safety officers demanded bribe for approving sale of various food products.

Meanwhile,Union Health Ministry statement said that FSSAI has clarified that the officials who have figured in the sting operation are not working in FSSAI but are employees of the state government.

The FSSAI advisory written by its chairman Ashish Bahuguna which is in possession of PTI said that the sting operation not only depicts the food safety department and state government in "poor" light but also casts a shadow over FSSAI's "concerted" efforts to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption.

"I shall be grateful if you could kindly direct your officers to send me a detailed report on the above incident and take the strongest possible action against official found guilty of corrupt practices...

"and ensure the establishment of a review and monitoring mechanism so as to prevent recurrence of such cases in the future," the FSSAI advisory said.

Sources in the Health Ministry said that immediately after the matter came to light, Nadda took stock of the situation and issued directives to officials to look into the matter.

Sting exposes FSSAI officials giving nod to unsafe products for bribe

The India Today Television team requested Ramesh Chand, food inspector, FSSAI, Pilkhuwa, for help because their product had excessive amount of lead in it, to which the inspector assured them it would not be a problem.

Sting operation team posed as owners of a namkeen brand and requested Ramesh Chand, an FSSAI food inspector, to help pass their product that had excessive amount of lead in it.

Even as India's favourite Maggi got pulled out of shelves owing to its high lead content, illegal approval of unsafe food products goes unchecked under Food Safety & Standard Authority (FSSAI) with its food inspectors subtly encouraging bribery. This was revealed by a sting operation carried out by India Today Television.

The investigation team reached out to Pilkhuwa in the western Uttar Pradesh district of Hapur, 60 kilometers away from the national Capital.

The team posed as entrepreneurs willing to launch a namkeen brand - Sharmaji Ki Bhujia. The team requested Ramesh Chand, food inspector, FSSAI, Pilkhuwa, for help because their product had excessive amount of lead in it, following which, Inspector Chand assured them that excess lead would not be a problem.

In the very first meeting, Chand not only agreed to pass the samples, but he also promised to do so without conducting any tests. However, he demanded a fixed price - only Rs 20,000 a year - a nominal sum is all it takes for an FSSAI food inspector to bypass tests and let deadly and dubious food samples pass.

"When you make money by selling your product, just pay me Rs 20,000 on a yearly basis," Chand told the team. He also agreed to travel with the team to Bulandshahr to introduce them to other food inspectors, who would help them pass the proposed toxic namkeen. When the team halted at a local restaurant in Bulandshar, inspector Chand also discussed how passing such products was a well-established practice. He revealed how milk samples from one of India's best known companies had been dismissed by deliberately adulterating it. The milk was safe, but the company did not agree to bribe the inspectors and so the product suffered consequences.

"We tampered with the seal and added adulterants to it and then send it to the testing laboratory.

Similarly, the FSSAI food inspector in Bulandshahr, Shiv Das Singh also agreed to help sell the proposed lead-filled samples, saying, "No tests would be required. I will introduce you to four more people, who are known to us. You will face no problems at all," he said. He also demanded Rs 20,000.

Ramesh Chand further revealed that when it came to big, established brands there sometimes was pressure from the top power centres to declare food samples unsafe. "Maggi is an international brand, there may be a possibility that someone asked for donation and the company denied. Laboratories and samples lie under the government - it can do anything," said Chand.

The team moved ahead to Mukhteshwar, where they met KT Singh, the food inspector in Mukhteshwar. He explained how the presence of lead is examined in food samples. All that mattered was ensuring that those overseeing the test were taken care of. "You support us, we will support you," said Singh. Further, the team also discovered that it was possible to disturb a competitor brand by getting its samples failed in the test. A food inspector in Lucknow was not only prepared to fail the namkeen sold by the investigation team's competitor brand on spurious grounds, but he also promised to help generate massive media coverage.

Maggi ban: For one lakh rupees, FSSAI officials willing to fail your competitor's product: Reports

The official also asked them reporters to get a sample of the product and agreed to approve it for Rs 20,000 for a year.

In a shocking expose by India Today, some FSSAI officials were caught asking for a bribe to clear a food product which the channel reporters said had high lead content.

As per the news channel, the sting operation was carried in Uttar Pradesh. An FSSAI food inspector Ramesh Chand in Pilkhuwa agreed to pass a food product which they claimed had increased lead content, for Rs 20,000 a year. The channel's reporters told him that they wanted him to clear a 'namkeen' product, but it would have high lead content as it uses Delhi's ground water. So Chand asked them to get a sample of the product and agreed to approve it for Rs 20,000 for a year.

Another food inspector Shiv Das Singh from Bulandshaher claimed that bogus products being cleared and good ones getting failed was an established practice in the body. He also said that a product of a competitor can get disapproved for one lakh rupees.

The report quotes Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan reacting to the sting operation. "Standard products are being labelled as sub-standard and faulty products are being passed by such corrupt officials. This is a big crime and I demand strongest possible action against all those found guilty," Paswan said. "As a consumer minister I assure you that my department will take up the case seriously. FSSAI doesn't come under my ministry but I want to make it clear that strong action will be taken against such officials. They should be sent to jail," he added.

Put corrupt food inspectors behind bars: Paswan

Reacting to a sting operation conducted by a televison channel, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today said strict action should be taken against corrupt food inspectors and they should be put behind bars. 

"Strict action should be taken against these kind of officials. As a Cosnumer Affairs Minister, I will take this matter very seriously," Paswan told India Today TV. 

The TV channel conducted sting on Food Inspectors in some districts of western Uttar Pradesh which showed food inspectors' readiness to approve sub-standard product against annual bribe of Rs 20,000. 

One of the food inspector also shared the way they manipulate food items if the supplier does not pay them bribe. 

"Though FSSAI comes under Health Ministry but irrespective of being under any ministry, if anyone is going to play with life of people then not only strict action should be taken but also they should be sent behind bars," Paswan said. 

The Minister said that he will direct department under him to look in to the matter and work with FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) to take steps in the interest of consumers. 

The TV channel conducted a sting operation to investigate the ground reality after ban of Maggi noodles. 

FSSAI had banned Maggi noodles saying it was "unsafe and hazardous" for consumption after finding lead levels beyond permissible limits. The company had withdrawn the instant noodles from the market. 

Nestle India had later challenged the ban by FSSAI in the Bombay High Court. In August, the court lifted the nation-wide ban imposed by the Indian food regulators on Maggi noodles but ordered a fresh test of samples of the product in three independent labs across India. 

Last week, Nestle India had said that all samples of Maggi cleared tests conducted by three laboratories, as mandated by the Bombay High Court. The company is now planning to relaunch the product soon.

State food safety department to alert FSSAI on safety act snags

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The food safety department will write to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the statutory body to ensure safe food, on the loopholes in the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The move follows the high court decision to lift the ban on manufacture and sale of three Nirapara products earlier this week.

The lack of a proper act to deal with repeated offences has spoiled many efforts of the department to prevent adulteration. In the Nirapara case, food safety commissioner T V Anupama had decided to ban three of its spice products - chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder - after finding that it repeatedly committed 34 offences without rectification. The department had found the presence of sub-standard starch in these products.

The department had imposed fines - ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 5 lakh - on Kalady-based KKR Food Products, the manufacturers, several times but it continued to sell the adulterated products. "It's a sad situation if you cannot take strong action against a repeated offence. We will soon write to the FSSAI on the situation," Anupama said.

KKR Food Products had argued in court that the food safety department could only ban products as per Section 34 of the Act, if it is unsafe for human consumption. Only adulterants that come under the 'unsafe' category warrant a ban.

The food safety dept has invoked the following provisions while moving against Nirapara: Section 29 (3) which stipulate that the authorities shall maintain a system of control and other activities appropriate to the circumstances, including public communication, on food safety risk, food safety surveillance and other monitoring activities covering all stages of food business. Section 30 (2) (d) which says the commissioner of food safety shall ensure an efficient and uniform implementation of the standards and other requirement as specified and also ensure a high standard of objectivity, accountability, practicability, transparency and credibility. Section 26 (2) (ii), according to which no food business operator shall himself or by any person on his behalf manufacture, store or distribute any article of food which is misbranded or substandard or contains extraneous matter. Section 36 (3) (b) which states designated officer can prohibit the sale of any article of food which is in contravention of the provisions of the Act.

However, the high court considered the argument of KKR Food Products that as per Section 34, that commissioner of food safety must do emergency prohibition only if the product poses a health risk.

Another recent high court order too proves that the Food Safety and Standards Act is toothless. A Kannur-based cinnamon farmer Leonard John had approached the high court recently seeking a directive to ensure that cassia is not sold in Kerala. He had claimed that low-cost cassia is sold as cinnamon in the state.

Cassia has a high presence of coumarin, which is unsafe for human consumption. John said that the official website of FSSAI had featured reports that said coumarin is toxic to liver and kidney. Even after getting a directive from the high court, the food safety department could not take a strong action against the sale of cassia.

"Cassia is a food product and action can be taken only for selling sub-standard products or misbranding. Hence, the issue is now being dealt with by the district-level food safety officials," said Anupama.

The department had sent several letters to FSSAI demanding amendments in the Act. "We had come across several such cases. For example, during the Maggi controversy, it was found that the act does not specify the permissible level for MSG. We had informed FSSAI about such issues," she said.

MLA V T Balram had written a letter to chief minister Oommen Chandy seeking the intervention of the advocate general, so that food safety department could function effectively.

CCFI moves high court against Kerala drive to restrict vegetables from Tamil Nadu

In the recent months, the Kerala government had acted tough against the high level of pesticide residues in vegetables.

Crop Care Federation of India (CCFI), which functions to protect the interest of pesticide manufacturers and users, has moved the high court against the Kerala government drive to restrict the supply of vegetables with pesticide residues above the permissible level from Tamil Nadu. 

In a writ filed in the high court on Monday, the CCFI has sought that directions be issued to the Chief Secretary to strictly function under the contours of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. CCFI wanted State Food Safety Commissioner T V Anupama withdraw her statements on pesticide content in vegetables transported from Tamil Nadu to Kerala. 

It said the commissioner made observations without any scientific credibility about pesticide usage and she was harassing farmers, in violation of the section 18 (3) of the food safety and standards act. 

The federation alleged that the Kerala Food Safety Commissioner has been causing and spreading unwarranted panic and paranoia about vegetables from Tamil Nadu. 

It sought the high court to direct the Kerala food safety commissioner to make public the analytical results of 700 samples claimed to have been taken by her directly from the farmers in Tamil Nadu. 

In the recent months, the Kerala government had acted tough against the high level of pesticide residues in vegetables. The food safety commissioner had sent her teams to farms in Tamil Nadu, a major supplier of vegetables to Kerala, to realize the gravity of issue after lab tests found that supply from Tamil Nadu contained pesticides above permissible level. 

Subsequently, Kerala had issued guidelines to truckers to reveal the markets from where they sourced the produce. In the recent months, sale of vegetables and fruits from other states have come down due to the reports about pesticide residue.

Beware of cinnamon you buy, warns activist

MANGALURU: Cinnamon that you buy from the market may not be original, warns Leonold John, who is instrumental in making Kerala High Court direct the state government to check the matter. 

John, who has launched a legal battle and commenced a campaign against the unethical marketing, says that most of the cinnamon brands available in the market contain cassia. He also warns people not to use cassia, which very similar in colour, shape and taste, as it would cause cancer and several other health hazards. 

John, who owns 45 acres of cinnamon plantation in Kannur district of Kerala, urged Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah to ban the sale of cassia as cinnamon. He also urged the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to take note of the rampant sale of cassia in the name of cinnamon in India. 

He told reporters here on Tuesday that his fight will continue despite the fact he has been getting threatening calls from various places including Bengaluru. "Millions of Indians are being cheated by buying cassia instead of true cinnamon. FSSAI in its website says that cassia contains high quantity of coumarin and it causes kidney and liver damages. Further, it is carcinogenic too. Hence, all states should ban the sale of cassia in the interest of public health. Moreover, it affects the sale of original cinnamon and farmers who grow it too," John said. 

In September, the Kerala High Court has directed the state government to inform the court whether it had taken any step to prohibit the sale of cassia, which is allegedly sold in the state as cinnamon. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has already banned the sale of cassia, John said. 

Those companies sell cassia as cinnamon are cheating people and earning crores, he said. "Though cassia is not grown in India, it is being imported from China, Indonesia and Vietnam. While the price of cassia is just Rs 60 per kg, it is being sold at Rs 400 per kg with a label mentioning it as cinnamon. Only a thorough lab analysis can differentiate cassia and cinnamon. An average of 4 lakh kg of cassia is being sold as cinnamon in India," he added.

Maharashtra Government Moves Supreme Court, Says Maggi Ban Should Stay

The Maharashtra government is going to file an appeal against the Bombay High Court's order to lift the ban on Maggi noodles, state food and civil supplies minister Girish Bapat announced recently.

"Sample reports received from government laboratories had mentioned lead traces. We imposed the ban to prevent any health problems for the consumers," Bapat said. After the court's order, Karnataka and Gujarat have revoked the ban on manufacture and sale of Nestle India's popular instant food brand.

The announcements by the two states came after the clean chit given by three government-approved laboratories to Maggi noodles, which was banned by central food regulator FSSAI and various state-level watchdogs in June due to high levels of lead and mislabeling regarding MSG (Monosodium Glutamate)

Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had banned Maggi noodles saying it was "unsafe and hazardous" for consumption after finding lead levels beyond permissible limits, following which the company had withdrawn it from the market. Nestle India had then challenged the ban by FSSAI in the Bombay High Court.

Few days ago, the front page of a leading daily had a clutter breaking advertisement from Nestle's stable today, bringing readers up to date on the Maggi Noodles ruling. It went on to reassure fans that they will be able to eat their favourite noodles soon.

Goa willing to revoke ban on Maggi, but may have to wait for FSSAI order

The Goa government has indicated its desire to revoke ban on Maggi noddles, however, Maharashtra government’s decision to challenge the Bombay High Court decision against its ban in the Supreme Court may delay the fate of Maggi in Goa as well.

The possibility of Goa revoking ban on Maggi noodles does not arise unless the legal battle between Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) presently in Bombay High court is completely resolved, though the High court has quashed the ban. Moreover, the case is tagged with Maharashtra government ban issue which is all set to go to the apex court.

Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar told The Hindu on Wednesday morning that since the results of Maggi samples tested in State-run Food and Drugs Administration laboratory had not shown presence of any harmful content, the Goa government was open to lift the ban on Maggi noodles following the decisions of other States like Gujarat and Karnataka.

He, however, went on to confirm that Goa government had never imposed the ban but implemented an order of FSSAI, a Central regulatory agency which is presently being tackled with due process of law after it was quashed by Bombay High court along with the ban of Maharashtra government. He further pointed out that again the issue may face some delay as the Maharashtra government has challenged the Bombay High court decision to quash its ban ,in the Supreme Court. Director of Goa FDA Saleem Velji concurred.

As per the report of the FSSAI, Nestle India allegedly violated three mandatory conditions: having lead in excess of the permissible levels of 2.5 ppm (parts per million), misleading labeling information on the product label and selling Maggi oat masala noodles without its approval.

Goa was one of the few States where the product had tested negative for the two substances in two separate tests which had been conducted in the state. But following the ban across the country the Goa had also to implement the Central ban on Maggi from June 8. Goa FDA Director Velji had then said after the sample test that lead in all the five samples was “reported to be well below the permissible limit”. Besides, MSG had been found to be negative in the said test.

“In any case, the test results of Goa samples had no bearing on the order dated 5th June, 2015 as the samples tested qua Goa were not assumed to be unsafe while passing the Recall order by FSSAI. As such, the present test reports do not have any bearing on that order,” FSSAI press release issued on August 5 had clarified.

Recently, two days after Maggi samples passed all the tests in three laboratories designated by Bombay High Court, Karnataka and Gujarat governments announced that they would lift the ban on the Nestle product.

New FSSAI regulations for product approvals soon

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will come out with new regulations on product approvals in a few months, a senior government official said on Tuesday.

"FSSAI is in the process of having the right kind of regulations to set the house in order," said Ranglal Jamuda, secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), at an Assocham event here.

"In another couple of months, whatever difficulty we have in getting product approvals or diversifying products or coming out with new products to fulfil demand in the market, possibly that kind of situation will substantially change," he added.

"All the operational difficulties that have upset us for the last couple of months will be taking a good shape," he said.

FSSAI, the apex food regulator, scrapped product approvals following a Supreme Court order on August 19 which questioned the procedure being followed for approvals.

Jamuda urged the industry to mobilise existing and prospective entrepreneurs to apply in large numbers to avail services from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard).

The bank has set up a Rs.2,000 crore fund for lending to processing industries in mega food parks and designated food parks.

"So far seven applications have been sanctioned worth the total amount of Rs.255 crore. If we do not utilise this fund by the end of this financial year, it would be very difficult to ask the finance ministry to extend this facility in coming years," Jamuda said.

He also suggested the Nabard should delegate more powers to its regional offices so that things could move much faster in this regard.

Highlighting that this fund support was available only for designated food parks, the secretary said: "As of today we have notified about 146 designated food parks, including mega food parks across the country and five out these have become operational and another three are likely to become operational in the next couple of months."

DINAMALAR NEWS

அனு மதி பெறு வதை எளி மை யாக்கி விரை வில் வரு கி றது புது விதி மு றை கள்

புது டெல்லி, அக்.21:

மேகி விவ கா ரத்தை தொடர்ந்து, உணவு பாது காப்பு தொடர் பான விதி மு றை கள் கடு மை யாக் கப் பட்டன. ஐஸ் கி ரீம், பால் பொருட் கள், மருந்து பொருட் கள் தொடங்கி ஒவ் வொன் றுக் கும் புதிய தர விதி களை இந் திய உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் தர நிர் ணய ஆணை யம் முடிவு செய் தது. இந்த கெடு பி டி களை தொடர்ந்து, புதிய உணவு தயா ரிப் பு களுக்கு அனு மதி பெறும் நடை மு றை களும் கடு மை யாக உள் ளன.

இந் நி லை யில் இந்த விதி களை எளி மைப் ப டுத்த இந் திய உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் தர நிர் ணய ஆணை யம் (எப் எஸ் எஸ் ஏஐ) திட்ட மிட்டுள் ் ளது. இது கு றித்து அசோ செம் சார் பில் நடந்த உணவு பதப் ப டுத் து தல் தொழில் சார்ந்த நிகழ்ச் சி யில் பங் கேற்ற உணவு பதப் ப டுத் தல் துறை செய லா ளர் ராங்க் லால் ஜமுதா கூறி ய தா வது:

சந் தை யில் தேவை களுக்கு ஏற்ப புதிய தயா ரிப் பு கள் வந்த வண் ணம் இருக் கின் றன. ஆனால், இவற் றுக்கு அனு மதி பெறு வ து தான் சிக் க லா ன தாக உள ளது. இன் னும் சில மாதங் களில் புதிய தயா ரிப் பு களுக் கான அனு மதி பெறு வ தில் உள்ள செயல் பா டு கள் மற்றும் விதிமுறைகளை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு ஆணையம் எளி மை யாக் கும். நடை முறை சிக் கல் கள் களை யப் ப டும். உணவு பதப் ப டுத் தல் துறை நிறு வ னங் களுக்கு கடன் வழங்க தேசிய வேளாண் மற் றும் ஊரக மேம் பாட்டு வங் கிக்கு (நபார்டு) ₹2,000 கோடி ஒதுக் கீடு செய் யப் பட்டுள் ளது. இதை உணவு பதனீட்டு நிறு வ னங் கள் பயன் ப டுத் திக் கொள்ள வேண் டும். இது வரை 7 விண் ணப் பங் களுக்கு ₹255 கோடி வழங்க அனு மதிக் கப் பட்டுள் ளது என் றார்.

DINAKARAN NEWS

செம்பனார்கோவில் பகுதியில் கடை களில் அதி கா ரி கள் திடீர் ஆய்வு

செம் ப னார் கோ வில்,அக்.21:

நாகை மாவட்ட உண வுப் பாது காப்பு நிய மன அலு வ லர் டாக் டர். செந் தில் கு மார் தலை மை யில் வட்டார உண வுப் பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் தவ பா லன், சேகர், சீனி வா சன், சதீஷ் கு மார், செந் தில் கு மார், முத் தை யன், மகா ரா ஜன் ஆகி யோர் கொண்ட குழு வி னர் செம் ப னார் கோ வில் பர ச லூர் பகுதி சேர்ந்த கடை களில் திடீர் ஆய்வு மேற் கொண் ட னர். ஹோட்டல் கள், மளி கைக் கடை கள், பேக் கரி, டீக் க டை கள், இறைச்சி கடை கள், காய் கறி கடை கள். பழக் க டை கள் பால் மற் றும் குளிர் பான கடை களில் ஆய்வு மேற் கொண் ட னர். ஆய் வின் போது ரூ.7 ஆயி ரம் மதிப் பி லான காலா வ தி யான மளி கைப் பொருட் கள், தடை செய் யப் பட்ட பான் மசாலா, குட்கா போன்ற பொருட் களை பறி மு தல் செய்து அழித் த னர். மேலும் தடை செய் யப் பட்டுள்ள பான் மசாலா, குட்கா மற் றும் காலா வ தி யான உண வுப் பொருட் களை பொது மக் களுக்கு விற் பனை செய் யக் கூடாது போலி டீத் தூள் பயன் ப டுத்து தேநீர் தயா ரிக் கக் கூடாது என் றும், பேக் கரி இனிப்பு வகை பொருட் களில் நிர் ண யம் செய் யப் பட்ட அளவை விட கூடு த லாக வண்ண சாய பவு டர் பயன் ப டுத்தி விற் பனை செய் யக் கூடாது என் றும் உணவு நிறு வ னங் களை சுத் த மா க வும், சுகா தா ர மா க வும் வைத் துக் கொள்ள வேண் டு மென்று எச் ச ரித் த னர்.

மீறி னால் தமிழ் நாடு உண வுப் பாது காப்பு தர நிர் ண யம் சட்டப் படி நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என்று அறி வு றுத் தி னர். மேலும் பொது மக் கள் உண வுப் பொருட் களை வாங் கும் போது பாக் கெட்டு களில் உற் பத்தி தேதி, காலா வதி தேதி உள் ளதா என பார்த்து வாங்க வேண் டும் என்று பொது மக் களை கேட்டுக் கொண் ட னர்.

வெல்லத்தில் வேதிப்பொருட்கள் கலந்தால் கடும் நடவடிக்கை

தர் ம புரி, அக்.20:

வெல் லத் தில் வேதிப் பொ ருட் கள் கலந் தால் கடும் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் என எச் ச ரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ளார்.

தர் ம புரி மாவட்டத் தில் பாப் பா ரப் பட்டி, முத் து க வுண் டன் கொட்டாய், மொரப் பூர், முக் கல் நா யக் கன் பட்டி உள் ளிட்ட பகு தி களில் 250 கரும்பு கிர சர் களில் வெல் லம் தயா ரிக் கப் பட்டு வரு கி றது. நேற்று உணவு பாது காப்பு நிய மன அலு வ லர் டாக் டர் தினேஷ், முத் துக் க வுண் டன் கொட்டாய் பகு தி களில் உள்ள கரும்பு கிர சர் களில் திடீர் சோதனை செய் தார்.

வெல் லம் தயா ரிக் கும் உரி மை யா ளர் களி டம் காஸ் டிக் சோடா, ஹைட் ர ஜன் பராக் சைடு, பாஸ் ப ரஸ் போன்ற வேதி பொருட் களை கலக் கக் கூ டாது. இயற் கை யான முறை யில் சுண் ணாம்பு கலந்து வெல் லம் தயா ரிக்க வேண் டும்.

இவ் வாறு தயா ரிக் கப் ப டும் வெல் லத் தில் இரும்பு சத்து, கால் சி யம் சத்து அதி க மாக இருக் கும். வேதி பொருட் களை வெல் லத் தில் கலந் தால் கடும் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என கிர சர் உரி மை யா ளர் களி டம் எச் ச ரித் தார். முத் துக் க வுண் டன் கொட்டாய் பகு தி களில் உள்ள 30 கிர சர் களில் சோதனை நடத் தி னார்.

HC judgment on food products opens a can of worms

Is it the duty and responsibility of the government to prevent the sale of substandard food items in the market? Or as a consumer, is it one’s own choice and responsibility to ensure that one does not buy substandard food items, which might very well be available in the market?

Is it legal to sell a food product even if it is substandard as long as it does not pose a serious health hazard?

A recent judgment passed by the Kerala High Court, setting aside a ban imposed by the Commissioner of Food Safety on the manufacture, sale, and distribution of the Nirapara brand of chilly, turmeric, and coriander powders, as these contain extraneous starch and thus do not conform to the standards, seems to have opened a can of worms.

Commissioner T.V. Anupama issued the ban order on the Nirapara brand of spices, manufactured by KKR Food Products, Kalady, on September 3, under relevant provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 (FSSA) to protect the interests of consumers. The ban was imposed, as after several notices sent under Section 46 (4) of the FSSA, adjudications filed and fines imposed from Rs.10,000 to Rs.5 lakh, the manufacturer continued to sell the adulterated product.

Since September 2013, at least 34 cases of the same nature had been registered, 25 of which are currently pending before adjudicators in different districts in the State.

In the petition filed by the manufacturers, the High Court, however, chose to focus on the question, “whether there were any health risks warranting immediate action” (ban). It held the Commissioner can ban the food item only if there exists a health risk and if the said item is unfit for human consumption.

The judgment says that a “substandard item can also be sold, provided the consumer knows what is contained in it” and that “there is no provision to prohibit the manufacture or sale of substandard food products which are safe for human consumption”.

It says that “the court is of the view that there are clear findings that the petitioner’s products are substandard” but that in future in such cases, the Commissioner is free to take measures to alert the public about it or to cancel the licence under Section 32 (3) of the FSSA.

The Hon'ble High Court of Bombay mandated three NABL accredited labs to test five samples of each variant of MAGGI noodles for lead. 100% of these samples cleared these tests as lead was found to be well below permissible limits. Please click on the image below for the test results.

Will the government move an appeal?

“As per Section 26 (2) of the FSSA, no food business operator can manufacture or sell any article of food which is unsafe or substandard or contains extraneous matter. Also, as per Section 36 (3) (b), the Commissioner of Food Safety can prohibit the sale of any food item which is in contravention of the provisions of the FSSA.

“However, the court has now ruled that unsafe or substandard food can be sold but that the consumer can choose not to buy it. There is a clear legal conflict here and, hence, the matter has been referred to the government. It is up to the Health Secretary now to decide if the government should go on appeal against the HC decision,” official sources at the Food Safety Department told The Hindu .

“The judgment in effect means that it is perfectly legal to sell substandard food as long as it is not dangerous to human health. This is a dangerous statement which strikes at the very root of the FSSA, an Act that was formulated to protect consumers from the hazards of unsafe/ substandard food,” they pointed out.

Congress MLA V.T. Balram has written to the Chief Minister pointing out the discrepancies between the FSSA and the HC judgment and the long-term dangerous consequences that could result if the court is not apprised of it.

Appeal to Chandy

Mr. Balram appealed to the Chief Minister to ensure that the government files an appeal immediately against the HC judgment.

'Nirapara Brand Safe for Consumption'

KOCHI:The officials of KKR food products, which bring out products under Nirapara brand, said that the company keeps in mind the health concerns of the consumers while bringing out their goods and steps have already been taken to ensure quality.

In a press conference, Nirapara chairman K K Karnan pointed out that Kerala High Court order revoking the ban on Nirapara brand of chilly, turmeric and coriander powders is a vindication of the stand taken by the company. Nirapara spices are being sold in other parts of the country and being exported to various countries including Gulf, USA and Europe which have stringent food safety laws. Not a single complaint has come from these countries so far. Moreover, it is impossible to get market entry in these countries without ensuring quality. 

The Commissioner of Food Safety can order a ban under section 34 of the Food Safety and Standard Act only if the product is found unsafe for human consumption.

But as Nirapara spices were not found unsafe for human consumption, the court made it clear that the ban order by the Commissioner was null and void, Karnan pointed out. Nirapara vice chairman Biju Karnan was also present.