Synthetic milk in Khammam

Khammam: Buttressing the fact that over 68 per cent of milk in the country does not conform to standards of the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the trading of adulterated, rather synthetic milk is rampant in the district like elsewhere in the State.

With the authorities turning a blind eye, only the small fish are being caught and brought to justice, letting the big sharks go scot free for adulterating milk, which has the presence of urea, detergents, caustic soda, white paint and refined oil considered hazardous to health.

In one such an incident, the police on Monday caught Vejerla Murali of Achyutapuram under Aswaraopet mandal in Khammam district, who is making a fast buck preparing milk by mixing urea and palm oil. The police seized 80 palm oil sachets, four bags of urea, five kilograms of sugar, milk containers and a mixer.

The accused, who is not a dairy farmer, has reportedly ventured into this business a month ago with the help of a lab technician working in a private milk pasteurization unit.

Speaking to The Hans India, the Progressive Dairy Farmers Association of Telangana (PDFAT) president M Jithender Reddy said: “This is only the tip of the iceberg. The adulteration of milk is more even in reputed dairy units, including the State-owned Vijay Dairy.”

Stating that there is no mechanism to look into the anomalies taking place in the dairy units, he said that even the milk of reputed brands is no exception.

The dairy units, which pay less to farmers even if there was a slightest variation in the SNF (solid not fat) content in the milk, do not ensure the same rule when they sell it to the consumer, he alleged, accusing the dairy units of producing adulterated milk.

Adding a suitable emulsifier, vegetable refined oil is thoroughly mixed till it becomes a thick white paste. 

Then water is added until the paste’s density is similar to that of milk. Then urea or sodium sulphate or any one of the commonly available fertilisers is added to it after dissolving in hot water. While the refined oil acts as a source of fat, the hot solution acts as a source of solids not fat (SNF). It’s difficult for a lay man to differentiate between contaminated and pure milk, Reddy said.

FSSAI rules for nutraceuticals in final notification stage

NEW DELHI, JULY 5: 

Regulations for nutraceuticals industry have reached the final notification stage, Kumar Anil, Advisor (standards), Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said.

“We had realised the need for establishing standards earlier on and initiated the process four years ago… these regulations have reached the final notification stage,” Kumar said at an Assocham event on Tuesday.

These have been framed to provide a level playing field to all stakeholders in the nutraceuticals industry, he added.

They provide general conditions for manufacture and sale of these foods besides providing chapter-wise details regarding essential composition, requirements related to claims, labelling, permitted use of additives and limits of contaminants, toxins and residues.

“The regulations also provide for various schedules dealing with vitamins, minerals, recommended diet, daily allowance, list of ingredients of plants, botanical storages, probiotics, prebiotics, besides it also has a comprehensive schedule of additives which is further divided into various sub-categories,” Kumar added.

Frozen food ignorance 'is leading to waste'

Common misconceptions about frozen food are contributing to the seven million tonnes of waste thrown out by UK households every year, a survey suggests.

A poll for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) revealed widespread confusion around the safety of frozen food as households waste the equivalent of six meals a week.

Some 43% of people think food should only be frozen on the day of purchase, rather than up until the use-by date, 38% incorrectly said it is dangerous to refreeze meat after it has been cooked and more than a third (36%) wrongly believe that food can become unsafe to eat while in the freezer.

Almost a quarter (23%) said they would never freeze meat that was cooked after defrosting, with 73% of them saying this was due to worries about food poisoning.

More than two thirds of those surveyed (68%) had thrown food away in the past month, mainly bread (36%), fruit (31%), vegetables (31%) and leftover meals (22%).

The FSA, Defra and Wrap (Waste and Resources Action Programme) is reviewing the guidance provided to the food industry on date marking of food, including whether this should be expanded to cover food storage and freezing advice for consumers.

FSA policy director Steve Wearne said: “The freezer is like a pause button, so you can freeze foods right up to the ‘use by’ date.

“While food is kept safe in the freezer, it’s the quality that deteriorates over time, so we recommend eating it within three to six months and checking for any freezing instructions on the packaging.

“Once defrosted, the pause button is off, so defrost food as and when you need it and eat it within 24 hours of it being fully defrosted.”

திருப்பதி ஏழுமலையான் கோயிலில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு சட்டத்தின் கீழ் பிரசாதம் தயார் செய்வது இல்லை பெங்களூர் பக்தர் புகார்

திரு மலை, ஜூலை 5:

கர் நா டக மாநி லம், பெங் க ளூரை சேர்ந்த பக் தர் நர சிம் ம லு மூர்த்தி நேற்று திருப் பதி தேவஸ் தான உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் தர துறை அதி கா ரி க ளி டம் கொடுத்த புகார் மனு வில் கூறி யி ருப் ப தா வது: உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் தரச் சட் டம் 2006ன் படி கோயில் க ளில் பிர சா தம் தயா ரித்து வழங் கு வ தற்கு உரி மம் பெற் றி ருக்க வேண் டும்.

உரி மம் பெற வில்லை எனில் 6 மாத சிறை தண் டனை, ₹5 லட் சம் அப ரா தம் விதிக் கப் ப டும். கோயில் க ளில் பிர சா தம் செய் யும் இடத் தில் பணி பு ரி யும் தொழி லா ளர் கள் முடி விழாத அள விற்கு தலை க வ சம், கையுறை, காலுறை அணிந்து பணி செய்ய வேண் டும்.

மேலும், பிர சா தம் தயா ரிக் கப் பட்ட தேதி, காலா வதி தேதி, பிர சா தம் தயார் செய்ய தேவை யான பொருட் கள் மற் றும் அதன் அள வு கள் குறிப் பிட வேண் டும். ஆனால் அதை எதை யும் தேவஸ் தா னம் பின் பற் று வ தில்லை. மேலும், பிர சா தம் தயா ரிக் கும் பணி யில் ஈடு ப டும் ஊழி யர் க ளுக்கு மாதம் ஒரு முறை மருத் துவ பரி சோ தனை செய் யப் ப டும். ஆனால், கோயி லில் உள்ள ஊழி யர் கள் அரை நிர் வா ணத் து டன் (மேல் சட்டை இல் லா மல்), பாது காப்பு கையுறை அணி யா மல் வெறும் கையில் பிர சா தத்தை தயா ரிக் கின் ற னர்.

கலி யுக தெய் வ மா க வும், உல கி லுள்ள அனைத்து இந்து மக் க ளின் ஆரா தனை தெய் வ மா க வும், 2வது வரு வாய் தரும் கட வு ளாக விளங் கும் வெங் க டேஸ் வர சுவாமி கோயில் பிர சா தத் தில் போல்டு, நட்டு, பான் ப ராக், கம்பி உள் ளிட்ட பொருட் கள் உள் ளது. இதற்கு தகுந்த நட வ டிக் கையை உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் தர துறை யி னர் உட ன டி யாக எடுக்க வேண் டும் என அந்த மனு வில் தெரி வித் துள் ளார்.

DINAMANI NEWS

அன்னதானம் செய்வோர் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையில் பதிவு செய்ய அறிவுறுத்தல் அதிகாரி தகவல்

சிதம் ப ரம் ஜூலை 5:

கட லூர் மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி காரி ரவி விடுத் துள்ள செய் தி கு றிப் பில் தெரி வித் துள் ள தா வது:

சிதம் ப ரம் நட ரா ஜர் கோயி லில் ஆனி தி ரு மஞ் சன திரு விழா நடந்து வரு கி றது. இத னை யொட்டி தேர், தரி சன விழா வரும் 9 மற் றும் 10ம் தேதி க ளில் நடக் கி றது.

இந்த இரு தினங் க ளி லும் அன் ன தா னம் செய்ய விரும் பு கிறவர் கள் கோயில் நிர் வா கம் மற் றும் காவல் து றை யில் அனு மதி பெற்ற பின் சிதம் ப ரம் நக ராட் சி யில் உள்ள உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை யின் சிதம் ப ரம் உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் பத் ம நா பனை (அலை பேசி எண்.9789541853) தொடர்பு கொண்டு அனு மதி பெற்று கொள்ள வேண் டும்.

அன் ன தா னம் செய்ய விரும் பு வோர் உணவு தயா ரிப்பு மற் றும் விநி யோ கம் செய் யும் இடத்தை தூய் மை யாக பரா ம ரிக்க வேண் டும். உணவு தயா ரிப் பின் போதும் குடி நீர் வழங் கும் போதும் பாது காக் கப் பட்ட குடி நீர் மட் டுமே வழங் கப் ப ட வேண் டும். உணவை சூடாக வழங்க வேண் டும், மேலும் உணவு பண் டங் களை ஈ மற் றும் தூசு அண் டா மல் தகுந்த மூடி யிட்டு பயன் ப டுத் த வேண் டும்.

பிளாஸ் டிக் பயன் பாடு முற் றி லும் தவிர்க்க வேண் டும். மேலும் அன் ன தா னம் செய் யும் உண வின் மாதிரி கண் டிப் பாக எடுத்து வைக்க வேண் டும்.

உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ ல ரின் ஆய் விற்கு மேற் படி உணவு மாதி ரி கள் உட் ப டுத் தப் ப டும் என கூறி யுள் ளார்.

Patanjali under lens for misleading advertising

NEW DELHI: Within a month of being pulled up due to misleading ads for its hair oil and washing powder brands, Ramdev promoted FMCG company Patanjali has found itself under the scanner of the country's advertising watchdog again.

Several ads by the company, including ones for its best-selling product, 'Dant Kanti' toothpaste has been found misleading by the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). Patanjali ads for mustard oil (Kachi Ghani), fruit juices and cattle feed (Dhugdhamrit) were also found ambiguous by ASCI.

The rulings by ASCI hold significance because it signed an MoU last week with the country's apex food regulator Food Safety and Standards Regulator of India (FSSAI) to check misleading ads in the food and beverage sector.

ASCI ruled that Dant Kanti's advertisement's claims, "Effective Against Pyorrhoea, Swelling & Bleeding of Gums, Yellowing of Teeth, Sensitivity & Bad Breath" and "protects your teeth for a longer time and provides a natural shield against germs", were not substantiated and are misleading.

However, Patanjali wasn't the only company rapped by ASCI. Companies such as HUL, P&G, Kellogg India, L'Oreal India and Colgate-Palmolive were pulled up too for misleading claims in advertisements.

For instance, ASCI found HUL's advertisement of `Rexona Roll On' claim, "Ten times (10X) Protection", misleading due to omission of qualifiers and reference to the comparison to talcum powder.

L'Oreal's advertisement on the pack of `New Garnier White Complete Double Action Facewash' claims, "instant whitening" and "Gives 1 tone fairer looking skin in one wash" were not substantiated. The TVC claim, "You think only cream can give you visible fairness?

Think again .... This fights dark spots and gives instant whitening", was misleading by implication, ASCI said.

Out of a total of 141 complaints, ASCI upheld complaints against 67.

காட்பாடியில் உள்ள சாலையோர கடைகளில் காலாவதியான உணவு பொருட்கள் விற்பனை அமோகம்சோ தனை நடத்த கோரிக்கை

வேலூர், ஜூலை 4:

காட் பா டி யில் உள்ள சாலை யோர கடை க ளில் காலா வ தி யான உணவு பொருட் கள் விற் பனை அதி க ரித்து வரு வ தாக பொது மக் கள் குற் றம் சாட் டு கின் ற னர்.

காட் பாடி மற் றும் அதைச் சுற் றி யுள்ள தாரா ப ட வேடு, முத் த மிழ் ந கர், பழைய காட் பாடி, கிளித் தான் பட் டறை, பிரம் ம பு ரம், வண் ட றந் தாங் கல் மற் றும் அத னைச் சுற் றி யுள்ள பகு தி க ளைச் சேர்ந்த மக் கள் தங் க ளுக்கு தேவை யான மளிகை பொருட் கள், மருந் து கள் உட் பட அனைத்து பொருட் க ளை யும் வாங்க காட் பா டிக்கு வந்து செல் கின் ற னர். இதன் கார ண மாக காட் பாடி பஜார் வீதி யில் மக் கள் கூட் டம் அலை மோ தும்.

இத் த கைய முக் கி யத் து வம் வாய்ந்த பகு தி யில் புற் றீ சல் க ளாய் முளைத் துக் கி டக் கும் பெட் டிக் க டை க ளில் தர மற்ற, காலா வ தி யான சிப்ஸ், பிஸ் கட் மற் றும் எண் ணெய் பல கா ரங் கள் ஆகி யவை அதி க ள வில் விற் பனை செய்து வரு வ தாக பொது மக் கள் புகார் தெரி விக் கின் ற னர்.

குறிப் பாக, பெட் டிக் க டை க ளில் பள்ளி குழந் தை க ளின் ஆசையை தூண் டும் வித மாக தர மற்ற சிப்ஸ் பாக் கெட் டு களை விற் பனை செய் கின் ற னர். அதோடு இல வச பொரு ளாக தர மற்ற பிளாஸ் டிக் பொருட் க ளால் செய் யப் பட்ட பொம் மை களை காட்டி அனைத்து காலா வ தி யான பொருட் க ளை யும் விற் று வி டு கின் ற னர்.

காலா வ தி யான உண வு களை சாப் பி டும் குழந் தை கள் வயிற் றுப் போக்கு, வைரஸ் காய்ச் சல் உட் பட பல் வேறு உடல் உபா தை க ளுக்கு ஆளா கும் அபாய சூழல் நில வு கி றது.

போலி யான முக வ ரி யில் இயங் கும் தொழிற் சா லை க ளில் தயா ரிக் கப் ப டும் உணவு பாக் கெட் டு க ளில் உற் பத்தி மற் றும் காலா வதி தேதி போன் ற வற்றை குறிப் பி டா மல் விற் ப னைக்கு அனுப்பி வைக் கப் ப டு கி றது. இத னால் அசம் பா வி தங் கள் ஏற் ப டும் போது குற் ற வா ளி கள் எளி தில் தப் பித்து விடு கின் ற னர்.

குறிப் பிட்ட கால இடை வெ ளி யில் விற் கப் ப டாத பொருட் களை உட ன டி யாக அழிக் கப் பட வேண் டும் என்று உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை அறி வு றுத் தி யுள்ள நிலை யில் சிலர் இதனை பொருட் ப டுத் தா மல் விதி களை மீறி தொடர்ந்து விற் பனை செய்து வரு கின் ற னர். பள்ளி முடிந்து வெளியே வரும் மாண வர் கள் சிப்ஸ் வகை களை விரும்பி உண் ணும் பழக் கம் கொண் டுள் ள னர்.

இதனை பயன் ப டுத்தி தர மற்ற பொருட் களை தயா ரித்து மிக குறைந்த விலை யில் சாலை யோ ரக் கடை க ளில் விற் பனை செய் வ தாக பொது மக் கள் வேதனை தெரி விக் கின் ற னர்.

சமீப கால மாக மருந் து கள் விற் பனை கூடத் தில் அரசு அதி கா ரி கள் மேற் கொண்ட சோத னை யில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட மற் றும் காலா வ தி யான மருந் து கள் ஏரா ள மாக சிக் கி யது குறிப் பி டத் தக் கது.

அதே போல், சாலை யோர கடை க ளி லும் உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி கள் அதி ரடி சோத னை யில் ஈடு பட்டு முறை கே டாக காலா வ தி யான பொருட் களை விற் பனை செய் யும் நபர் கள் மீது கடும் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டும் என்று பொது மக் கள் கோரிக்கை விடுத் துள் ள னர்.

மன்னார்குடி குேடானில் அயோடின் கலக்காத 600 கிலோ உப்பு பறிமுதல்

மன் னார் குடி, ஜூலை 4:

மன் னார் குடி குடோ னில் அயோ டின் கலக் காத 600 கிலோ உப்பு பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட் டது.

மன் னார் குடி வினோ பாஜி தெரு வில் உள்ள ஒரு மளிகை கடைக்கு சொந் த மான குடோ னில் நேற்று முன் தி னம் உணவு பாது காப்பு நிய மன அலு வ லர் செல் வ ராஜ் தலை மை யில் அதி கா ரி கள் அதி ரடி சோதனை நடத் தி னர். அப் போது அங்கு உணவு பாது காப்பு சட் டத்தை மீறி அயோ டின் கலக் கா மல் 10 மூட் டை க ளில் வைத் தி ருந்த 600 கிலோ உப்பை பறி மு தல் செய் த னர். மேலும் பொது மக் கள் அயோ டின் கலக் காத உப்பை வாங்க ேவண் டாம் என்று வேண் டு கோள் விடுத் துள் ளார்.

DINAKARAN NEWS

FSSAI to revise histamine toxin levels in fish, fish products

Food regulator FSSAI is revising the list of fish species having potential to cause histamine poisoning and also set limits of histamine levels in fishery products. 

Histamine, a food-borne toxin, is formed as a result of time and temperature abuse of certain fish species that can cause illness to consumers.

Inviting public comments, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in a draft notification said it has proposed amendment of the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011, to include histamine forming fish species in the list of 'other contaminants'. 

The regulator has proposed a revised list of fish species having potential to cause histamine poisoning. 

The list includes 50 varieties of fishes including Indian scad, Talang queenfish, Atlantic Horse Mackerel, Bonga Shad, Spearfish, Skipjack Tuna and Swordfish, among others. 

This apart, the regulator has proposed histamine limits for fish and fishery products like fish pickle, frozen Finfish, battered and breaded fishery products, among others. 

It said the limits would be applicable to the enlisted fish varieties with potential to cause histamine fish poisoning as well as fish species with high amount of free histidine, the food regulator said. 

FSSAI has sought public comments on the issue within 30 days, after which the final notification will be issued.

Food Traceability and Recall: Ingredient for Food Safety

Introduction

The contemporary food supply chain is expected to adequately provide information that consumers and other concerned bodies need to know such as variety of the food attributes, country of origin, animal welfare, and genetic engineering related issues. For this, effective food traceability system is important. Long before there was any attempt to legislate for traceability, responsible food manufacturers, in their own enlightened self-interest, operated their own traceability schemes. These were usually based on the concept widely known as “one-up, one-down,” (OUOD). 

The identification of the origin of food and feed ingredients and food sources is of key importance to safeguard the consumers, particularly when products may leave to a health hazard including food allergies. Traceability facilitates and precisely targets the recall or withdrawal of foods when necessary; enables consumers to be provided with targeted and accurate information concerning implicated products; and is crucial to the investigation of the causes of food poisoning and other contamination outbreaks. Thus traceability is an indispensable feature of food safety. 

Exploring the Terms

In general, traceability measures can be used to improve the management of risks related to food safety and animal health issues; guarantee products’ authenticity and to give reliable information to customers and thereby improve products’ quality and processes. The term traceability may be defined as 

- Ability to follow the movement of a food through specified stage(s) of production, processing and distribution - Codex Alimentarius Commission

- Ability to trace the history, application or location of an entity by means of recorded identifications - International Standards Organization (ISO)But a wider definition of food chain traceability may be seen as under

- Ability to trace and follow a food, feed, food-producing animals or substance intended to be, or expected to be, incorporated into a food or feed, through all stages of production, processing and distribution – European Union RegulationThus traceability is ahead of tracking the source and destination of food products and components as it provides ability to trace food products up and down the production chain through all stages of production and enhance the probability of finding the source of a problem. So virtually traceability covers whole supply chain from procurement, processing and distribution. Thus at the level of ingredients safety, authenticity, nature of being foods grade etc. are covered in traceability. It is an essential ingredient of the quality management system through which recall can be performed. 

Recalls are actions taken by a firm to remove a product from the market. Recalls may be conducted on a firm's own initiative, by statutory regulator (like Food Safety and Standards Authority of India i.e. FSSAI) request, or order. As per FSSAI, recalls are categorised in to two classes according to the level of hazard involved. 

Class I Recalls are for unsafe food that could cause serious health problems or even death.

Class II Recalls are for food that are unlikely to cause any adverse health problem, but violate the rules and regulations.The Class II sometimes may be confused with Market Withdrawal which occurs when a product has a minor violation that would not be subject to legal action. Here the firm removes the product from the market or corrects the violation e.g. product removed from the market due to tampering, without evidence of manufacturing or distribution problems.

Traceability and recall thereby are made possible by record keeping and referring the same when it is needed. For its implementation, important components are identification of what has to be traced, recording of the related data, establishing the links between all data recorded and sharing the data with proper communication protocols. Figures 1 to 4 further clarify the concept of traceability and recall.

Figure 1: General Traceability Concept, Source: http://www.intergen.co.nz

Figure 3: Understanding Recall

Source: FSSAI Food Safety Officers’ Training Manual Vol 5

Regulatory View Point 

With regard to international trade, new legal requirements in mainly developed countries relating to traceability have recently been implemented, and in various sectors, importing countries have placed increasing pressure on exporting countries to comply with traceability requirements. These measures, however, must comply with the World Trade Organization agreements; they must be justified as having a sanitary or phytosanitary (SPS) objective or as having a legitimate objective. Indian Food Legislation also demands from Food Business Operators (FBOs) for minimum traceability of OUOD to realise recall in time. However FBOs such as food service sector such as restaurants, caterers and takeaway joints and food retailers are exempted from mandatory recall plan. But of course will require to have one or another kind of traceability in place for their business sake.

What and How to Implement?

Document like ISO 22005: 2007 titles as “Traceability in the feed and food chain -- General principles and basic requirements for system design and implementation” are helpful in designing food traceability systems but of generic solution indicator mainly focussing on what to implement. There are several IT support systems available for recording the data and sharing the data. Here it is important to mention that GS 1 Global or GS 1 India is one body which has worked a lot on how to implement. 

Food supply chains with geographically disseminated stakeholders entail efficient and unified track & trace systems which use standardised identifiers for uniquely and unambiguously identifying food items/ consignments through physical marking/labelling with barcodes/RFID tags using GS1 global standards. The same standards are used in enabling structured electronic information exchange between supply chain partners as well. GS1 Global Traceability Standards (GTS) were developed in 2005 with the active participation of food producers, buyers and regulators to meet core legislative and business requirements on food safety through traceability and recall. Readers can refer www.gs1.org/docs/traceability/Global_Traceability_Standard.pdf. 

Food Ingredients and Traceability

As indicated earlier, food Ingredients are important aspects of traceability depending on the breadth and depth defined in the system for traceability. Further, in recent years, consumer confidence in the food supply has been shaken as a result of product recalls and other food scandals. Many consumers today want to know from where do their food and the ingredients that make it come from. An example would be the issues caused by melamine in baby formula. 

Further, in food business, we talk about food grade ingredients. Many times we feel difficulty in finding universal definition of food grade ingredients like food flavours, being multi-ingredient in composition. However, guidance for what can be considered food grade is provided by multiple regulatory bodies around the world. But, variances in these standards from country to country make it difficult to keep track of the standards for flavoring ingredients in relation to the country where the product is being sold. New initiatives like the 2011 US Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) have recently added prerequisites for ingredients that may be considered food grade in the US. Authenticity of natural ingredients is significantly important nowadays. GMO use is also restricted or banned in several countries. All this brings in necessity of sound traceability system. 

Enhancing Traceability 

In cases where markets do not supply enough traceability for product differentiation, individual firms and industry groups have developed systems for policing and advertising the veracity of credence claims. Third-party safety/quality auditors are at the heart of these efforts e.g., Certification of Organic Foods. Government may also seek firms producing foods with due credence. In judiciously designing efficient traceability system one must differentiate between valuable quality attributes, those for which verification is needed, and less valuable attributes for which no verification is needed. For example, though consumers may desire verification that organic foods are indeed organic, no such verification is necessary for conventionally produced foods. 

In cases where markets do not supply enough traceability for food safety traceback, a number of industries may group to ensure food safety and their own traceability protocols. Third-party certification is always relied upon to enhance the efficacy. To be competitive and compatible in global market it is better to take global standards for clarity in the process and protocols.

Conclusion

More and more industries should voluntarily deploy traceability using global standards beyond just mandates to improve efficiency and enhance their national and global market shares through assurance and visibility to food products from “farm to fork.” A shift from compliance traceability to value traceability is important in the present world market and could bring several benefits to the food industry, and consumers in the long run.

Reference 

http://www.gs1india.org/upload/.../Enabling%20food%20safety%20article-new.pdf 

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/technical-documents/articles/white-papers/flavors-and-fragrances/food-grade-flavor-ingredients.html#sthash.Oef1O3vf.dpuf

http://www.ift.org/knowledge-center/focus-areas/product-development-and-ingredient-innovations/food-additives.aspx

DINAMALAR NEWS

FSSAI sets norms for wine, whisky makers

New Delhi, July 3

For the first time since alcohol and alcoholic beverages came under the ambit of Indian food safety law, the apex food regulator is in the process of setting harsher terms for the makers of wine, whisky and beer.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has come up with a draft notification related to additional additives, enzymes and processing aids used in the production of alcoholic beverages, including alcohol-free and low-alcoholic counterparts.

The notification contains a list of 63 additives the alcohol industry can use in the manufacturing of their products. Also defined in the draft notification is the maximum permissible limit for each such additive. The purpose of the exercise is to give a legal backing to the food additives used in a range of alcohols and alcoholic beverages.

FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal today said, “Notifying additives helps both the food safety cause and the interests of manufacturers. There were requests to clarify permitted additives because in the absence of clarification, many of these were being labelled as contaminants. Once we finally notify our additives for alcohols and alcoholic beverages, state food safety officers will know what is permissible.”

Exhibition on food safety held

Mouth-watering north and south Indian delicacies were on display at Centenary Hall in the city as part of the competition-cum-exhibition to create awareness about food safety, quality and nutrition. The competition was organised by the local MINDSET (Manifestation of Internal Development Skill Engrave Trust) in association with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Sunday. 

As many as 67 participants from rural and urban areas, took part. The items on display ranged from chats to ‘Sajje’ rotis, jowar rotis, brinjal curry, a variety of powders made using groundnut, Bengal gram, a variety of sweets, juices among other things. Parmeshwar Mathpati of FSSAI, explained the importance of consuming good quality and safe food. 

Hoteliers, bakery owners, people who run roadside eateries, kirani merchants and also health conscious public attended.

Labelling to take the pinch out of salt

What makes it difficult for consumers to choose healthy food items is the lack of labelling information about sodium on most packaged food products sold in India. Photo: Special arrangement

If regulation goes to plan, the Indian consumer will no longer be in the dark about sodium content in food products.

Indian adults consume between 8.5 grams and 15 grams of salt each day as against the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation of less than 5 grams per day to reduce blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, says a September 2012 paper in PLOS ONE.

According to the President of the Public Health Foundation of India, Prof. Srinath Reddy, hypertension in the population ranges from 20-39 per cent in urban areas while it is 12-17 per cent in rural areas. An October 2014 paper in the journal BMJ Open says that an estimated 140 million people in India have hypertension, a figure that will touch nearly 214 million by 2030.

If a high proportion of salt consumed by Indians comes from salt added while cooking and at the table, a much higher intake comes from consuming processed food, especially salted snacks, pickle, papad and sauce.

Vast differences revealed

A survey of nearly 5,800 packaged food products reveals huge differences in the salt content of similar foods. For instance, cooking sauces, table sauces and spreads were found to contain on average 5.5 gram per 100g of salt, with some having 10 times that amount.

What makes it difficult for consumers to choose healthy food items is the lack of labelling information about sodium on most packaged food products sold in India. A September 2015 study (Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition) carried out in 2010 found that only 31 per cent of Indian food products included information on sodium in the nutrition labelling.

Nothing much seems to have changed since 2010. The survey of 5,800 products carried out from 2013-2014 found that only a third of packaged food products had information on sodium.

It is ironic that despite the high incidence of elevated blood pressure in India and high hypertension-related mortality, the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, has not made it mandatory for manufacturers to provide sodium information. Making sodium data available on packaged products is vital in helping a person wanting to reduce his salt intake.

According to the 2011 regulations, manufacturers are required to provide nutritional information on ‘energy, protein, carbohydrate, sugar and fat’. Declaring the sodium content on the label is not mandatory. However, Codex requires labelling to also include information about saturated fat and sodium.

Label’s markings

But if everything goes to plan, salt (sodium) content may soon be available on the packet labels of food products. According to the former director of the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition, Dr. B. Sesikeran, and till recently the chairperson of the FSS Scientific Panel on Labels, a revised Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations will be notified soon.

A front-of-pack labelling will include salt (sodium) in addition to total calories, total saturated fat, trans fat, and added sugar. The FSS may also make it mandatory to include markings on whether the five categories on the label are ‘low’ or ‘high’ per serving.

“Added salt in mg/serving size should be included under the mandatory labelling component. The food industry will always bring up something which will delay or digress from this issue but we need to advocate it in a concerted fashion in light of the already existing and constantly rising epidemic of chronic diseases,” says Dr. Shweta Khandelwal, Associate Professor, PHFI, in an email to The Hindu.

The ‘salt’ app

Meanwhile, the FoodSwitch app developed by the Sydney-based The George Institute for Global Health will provide consumers with the knowledge and support to choose products that are healthy. The George Institute for Global Health India already has nutrition information on nearly 8,000 food products sold in India across 15 food categories. Another 2,000 products will soon be added to the list.

The free to download app uses the established traffic light labelling system — red (‘high’), amber (‘OK’) and green (‘good’) — to evaluate products in the chosen category.

“The app serves like an advocacy tool for consumers to use the information available on the label,” says the Deputy Director of The George Institute for Global Health India, Delhi, Dr. Pallab Maulik. “If and when India makes it mandatory to have all the details on the label, the app will still be useful in helping consumers choose healthier options.”

prasad.ravindranath@thehindu.co.in

கும்பகோணத்தில்ரூ .3.52 லட்சம் மதிப்பு காலாவதி பொருள் பறிமுதல்

கும் ப கோ ணம், ஜூலை2:

கும் ப கோ ணத் தில் அதி கா ரி கள் நடத் திய திடீர் ஆய் வில் ரூ.3 லட் சத்து 52 ஆயி ரம் மதிப் புள்ள காலா வ தி யான பொருட் கள் பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட் டது.

தஞ்சை உணவு பாது காப்பு திட்ட அலு வ லர் டாக் டர் ரமேஷ் பாபு தலை மை யில் 10க்கும் மேற் பட்ட அலு வ லர் கள் நேற்று முன் தி னம் கும் ப கோ ணம் பஸ்ஸ் டாண்டு, பெரிய கடைத் தெரு, காந் தி பூங்கா, கும் பேஸ் வ ரன் கோயில் பகு தி யில் உள்ள கடை கள், ஓட் டல் க ளில் திடீர் ஆய்வு செய் த னர். அப் போது, தடை செய் யப் பட்ட குட்கா, ஹான்ஸ், பான் ப ராக் போன்ற போதை பொருட் கள் 13 மூட் டை கள் பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட் டன. இதன் மதிப்பு ரூ.2லட் சம் ஆகும். இதே போல் ஓட் டல் க ளில் உணவு தயா ரிக் கும் இடம், பரி மா றும் இடம், ஹோட் டல் ஊழி யர் கள், குடி நீர் ஆகி யவை முறை யாக பரா ம ரிக் கப் ப டு கி றதா என்று ஆய்வு செய் த னர். அப் போது, அங்கு உற் பத்தி தேதி உள் ளிட்ட தகுந்த சான் று கள் இல் லா மல் இருந்த குடி நீர் கேன் களை பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

மேலும் நேற்று ஓட் டல் க ளில் நடத் திய ஆய் வில் காலா வதி தேதி இல் லா மல் இருந்த காளான் பைகளை பறி மு தல் செய் த னர். பின் னர் காளான் வாங் கிய கடைக்கு சென்று ஆய்வு செய்து, ரூ.75 மதிப் புள்ள 110 காளான் பாக் கெட் டு கள் பறி மு தல் செய் யப் பட் டது. இதன் மதிப்பு ரூ.8,250 ஆகும். பின் னர் மளி கை யில் கடை யில் காலா வ தி யான பருப் பு களை பாக் கெட் போட்டு விற் பது தெரி ய வந்து 50 கிலோ எடை யுள்ள 12 பருப்பு மூட் டை களை பறி மு தல் செய் த னர். இதன் மொத்த மதிப்பு ரூ.1 லட் சத்து 44 ஆயி ர மா கும்.

இது கு றித்து உணவு பாது காப்பு திட்ட அலு வ லர் மருத் து வர் ரமேஷ் பாபு கூறு கை யில், கும் ப கோ ணம் பகு தி யில் உள்ள அனைத்து உணவு விடு தி க ளி லும் திடீ ரென ஆய்வு செய் யப் ப டும். கடந்த இரண்டு தினங் க ளில் சுமார் ரூ. 3 லட் சத்து 52, ஆயி ரத்து 250 மதிப் புள்ள பொருட் களை பறி மு தல் செய் துள் ளோம். தஞ் சைக்கு எடுத்து செல் லப் பட்டு அழிக் கப் ப டும் என் றார்.

20 கிலோ போதை பாக்கு புகை யிலை பறி மு தல்

பொள் ளாச்சி, ஜூலை 2:

பொள் ளாச் சி யில் உள்ள கடை க ளில், தடையை மீறி விற் ப னைக்கு வைக் கப் பட் டி ருந்த 20 கிலோ போதை பாக்கு, புகை யிலை பொருட் களை உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

பொள் ளாச்சி நகர் மற் றும் சுற் று வட் டார பகு தி யில் உள்ள கடை க ளில், தடையை மீறி போதை பாக்கு மற் றும் புகை யிலை விற் பனை செய் வது அதி க ரித்து வரு வ தாக தொடர்ந்து புகார் எழு கி றது. இதில் நேற்று முன் தி னம், நக ராட் சிக் குட் பட்ட சில கடை க ளில், நகர் நல அதி கா ரி கள் ஆய்வு மேற் கொண்டு, கடை க ளில் விற் ப னைக் காக வைக் கப் பட் டி ருந்த 2 கிலோ போதை பாக் கு களை பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

இந் நி லை யில், உணவு பொருள் பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் சுப் பு ராஜ், கோவிந் த ராஜ், காளி முத்து உள் ளிட் டோர், பஸ் நிலை யம், மார்க் கெட் ரோடு, சத் தி ரம் வீதி, தெப் பக் கு ளம் வீதி, பாலக் காடு ரோடு மற் றும் பள்ளி, கல் லூரி அருகே உள்ள கடை க ளில் சோதனை நடத் தி னர்.

25க்கும் மேற் பட்ட கடை க ளில் சோதனை செய் த தில், சுமார் 20 கிலோ போதை பாக்கு மற் றும் புகை யிலை பொருட் களை பறி மு தல் செய் த னர்.

இனி வரும் கா லங் க ளில் போதை பொருட் களை கடை க ளில் விற் பனை செய் தால், கடும் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும் என்று, கடைக் கா ரர் க ளுக்கு அதி கா ரி கள் எச் ச ரிக்கை விடுத் த னர்.

PUTHIYA THALAIMURAI ARTICLE

PepsiCo Finally Comes Clean and Admits the Truth about Their Bottled Water

Most people who enjoy drinking bottled water believe that it’s safer than tap water. The bottled water companies play their part in creating this myth by decorating their labels with images of lakes and mountains, hinting that their water originates from glaciers or natural springs. But, the real truth is that the vast majority of bottled water brands don’t have better quality than tap water.

THE INTERESTING CASE OF AQUAFINA

The label of Aquafina which contains mountains has made people to believe that it originates directly from nature. However, PepsiCo recently admitted that it is nothing more than tap water, just like Dasani and Pure Life’s products. That’s why the label will change soon in order to clarify the fact that it originates from public sources.

It is also very important to know that the water that is used in these products goes through a seven-step process which removes minerals and other healthy ingredients commonly found in municipal water supply.

WHY THE COMPANIES HIDE THESE FACTS?

Statistically, more than half of all American citizens drink bottled water, and approximately 36% drink it more than once a week. The big companies capitalize on the fact that most people believe that tap water is undrinkable. So today, the bottled water is an industry worth 13 billion dollars per year just in the USA. It is one of the most profitable industries since water is inexpensive and doesn’t require multiple ingredients and processes like soda. When it comes to water, filtering is the only thing that needs to be done.

LOWER QUALITY THAN TAP WATER

The frequent testing of public water supplies is a very common practice in most cities. For example, Canadian city Ottawa conducts more than 125,000 water quality tests per year. Another good example is the city of Toronto, where water samples are tested for more than 300 potentially harmful chemicals every 4 to 6 hours.

However, the bottled water in Canada is not a subject to the same strict testing because it is classified as a food and falls under the Food and Drugs Act. It has specific limits on well-known contaminants like lead, arsenic, lead and coliform bacteria but there are no regulations regarding other harmful chemicals. This situation is very similar to the one in the USA, where the producers of bottled water are not required to disclose as much information as municipal water utilities due to lack of quality regulations by federal authorities. In the USA, the Food and Drug Administration monitors the manufacturing of bottled water, even though it doesn’t possess the regulatory authority of EPA, which is in charge of tap water.

According to the Center for Disease Control: “although the bottled water outbreaks are not often reported, they still occur from time to time”. These contaminants usually include bacterial or chemical contaminants.

THE HARMFUL SUBSTANCES IN BOTTLED WATER

Recently, Fox News reported about a German study where the researchers found almost 25,000 chemicals in a single bottle of water. Some of the detected chemicals are well-known endocrine disruptors like maleates and fumarates. A prolonged exposure to these chemicals can cause harmful side-effects such as:

• Early puberty
• Infertility
• Premature birth
• Early menopause
• Heart disease
• Diabetes
• Cancer

In addition to this, some bottles still contain BPA, which is known to cause low sperm count, enlarged prostate glands, hormonal imbalance, pre-cancerous changes in the prostate and breasts, as well as obesity and insulin resistance.

It was also found that some of the bottled water brands are full of other endocrine disruptors such as estrogenic, antiestrogenic, and antiandrogenic chemicals.

So, in order to avoid this mixture of hormone-disrupting chemicals with very serious side effects, we recommend you to filter your tap water at home and use a glass bottle.

Canned food linked to hormone disrupting chemical exposure

DINAMANI NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

Codex adopts stricter food safety standards

The international food standards body has adopted stringent laws on pesticides in food and arsenic residue in rice 

Pesticides have become a part and parcel of agriculture. Their rampant use leads to high residues in food, which is potentially dangerous to human health Credit

The United Nations food standards body, Codex Alimentarius Commission (Commission), met in Rome recently to take decisions on matters relating to food safety. It adopted guidelines to prevent salmonella in fresh beef and pork, to control parasites in food and update guidelines on nutrition labelling and residues of inorganic arsenic in husked rice.

It also adopted Maximum residue limits (MRLs) for 30 pesticides and adopted almost 400 food additives in specific foods, including antioxidants and preservatives. It initiated an overhaul of the existing guidelines on general principles of food hygiene and review of the existing guidelines on antimicrobial resistance.

Pesticide residues in food

Pesticides have become a part and parcel of agriculture. Their rampant use leads to high residues in food, which is potentially dangerous to human health.

The commission discussed the report of the 48th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues held in China earlier this year.

However, based on risk assessments provided by a group of independent international experts (the Joint FAO/WHO expert meeting on pesticide residues), the commission has adopted MRLs for more than 30 different pesticides in various foods, along with revoking MRLs for a set of about 25 pesticides.

Effectively, the commission reduced MRLs substantially for pesticides like lindane and added MRLs for new food categories for pesticides like phorate, triazophos and propiconazole and imidacloprid.

Phorate and triazophos are considered “extremely hazardious” (class IA) and “highly hazardous” (class IB) respectively by the WHO.

Further, the commission has increased MRLs for many pesticides like cyantraniliprole, acetamiprid, fluopyram, imidacloprid, abamectin and propriconazole.

Out of 30 pesticides for which Codex adopted MRLs in the meeting, pesticides like flutriafol and fluxapyroxad are not registered in India.

However, despite the fact that pesticides such as fluopyram, cyantraniliprole, cyazofamid and floricamid are registered in India, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI ) does not provide MRLs.

For some pesticides such as Imidacloprid, Acetamiprid and Lufenuron, the current standards provide MRLs only for one or two food categories whereas Codex standards are much more detailed. India needs to set MRLs for more food categories for such pesticides.

The New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment has been working on the issue of pesticide regulation in India for over a decade and thinks that the pesticide management scenario needs to improve both in terms of law and practice.

It has been seen that some pesticides which are considered toxic around the world and are banned in many countries, are still used in India such as Benomyl, methyl parathion and phosphamidon, Amit Khurana, programme manager at CSE said.

He added that there were several pesticides which are allowed in India for which the FSSAI had not set MRLs. He said as farmers’ extension services in India were weak they were influenced by representatives of pesticide manufacturing companies while making choices.

Arsenic residues in rice

The commission highlighted the issue of arsenic residues in rice. Rice is a staple food in many communities and has a tendency to take up more arsenic than other food.

Arsenic has been associated with developmental effects, heart disease, diabetes, and damage to the nervous system and brain. The commission recommended that no more than 0.35 mg/kg (ppm) of inorganic arsenic should be allowed in husked rice (paddy rice from which the only husk has been removed, also known as brown rice or cargo rice).

The FSSAI does not provide a specific residue limit for arsenic in rice, and therefore, it falls within the residuary category making the limit as high as 1.1 ppm.

It is pertinent to note that even though arsenic contamination in rice has been a big issue in India, we do not have specific standards for arsenic in rice and the effective standards are much behind what the Codex has now adopted.

Guidelines on nutrition labelling updated

A balanced diet forms the foundation of a person’s health and it should be rich in vitamins and minerals. The commission has adopted nutrient reference values for copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin A to be included in its guidelines on nutrition labelling.

The FSSAI does not mandate even the declaration of salt on the label and India should strive to adopt global best practices with regard to nutrition labelling.

Antimicrobial resistance

The commission recognised that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a serious threat to human health and agreed to review the existing guidelines, including the code of practice to minimise and contain antimicrobial resistance adopted in 2005.

It was decided that a dedicated codex taskforce on AMR chaired by South Korea will take the new work forward. With the global awareness on the issue of AMR, all countries are looking at strengthening their internal policies and practices and a review of the old guidelines by Codex should help them do so.

However, India still has some basic issues to deal with. In India, there is no ban on non-therapeutic use of antibiotics in food-producing animals and there is no monitoring of antibiotic use or resistance in food-producing animals. Further, MRLs have not been set for antibiotic residues in chicken and milk and the existing law only provides MRLs for four antibiotics in fish.

FSSAI Cracks Down On Unlicensed Water Packaging Units

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued an order asking state authorities to regulate mineral watering packing units. According to Economic Times, almost 75 percent of the packaging units are operating without a proper FSSAI license. Several of these packaging units are owned by leading conglomerates such as PepsiCo and Bisleri. 

UNLICENSED WATER PACKAGING UNITS

FSSAI notes that several water packaging units are operating under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification but not FSSAI’s license. According to ET, out of 5,842 registered water packaging units, 1,495 units have both BIS and FSSAI licenses but almost 4,347 units have only BIS certification. Speaking about the need to obtain proper FSSAI licenses, Pawan Agarwal, CEO of FSSAI, said, “FSSAI regulations require mandatory BIS certification on packaged water. However there is a need for such businesses to obtain FSSAI certification. For which we have already written to the state food commissioners.” 

FSSAI LICENSE

The list of companies which doesn’t have FSSAI license include several well-known brands including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Bisleri. “Out of close to 6,000 registered packaged water units in the country, more than 4,300 don’t have FSSAI licence, which also include some reputed names, where some of their units may not have food regulator’s approval,” added Agarwal. Although these companies have yet to acquire FSSAI license, according to the feedback received by FSSAI, they have no issues in filing for the appropriate licenses. 

Although acquiring an FSSAI license is part of the regulation, Agarwal added that BIS certification makes a tremendous difference in ensuring the quality and the safety of packaged water. “BIS has robust system of ensuring quality of packaged water. There is no issue of safety of packaged water at all, if the packaged water businesses have obtained BIS certification,” said Agarwal.

Food Additives– Seeing Through the Eyes of Food Regulations

Introduction 

Food additives are “Any substance the intended use of which results or may reasonably be expected to result-directly or indirectly- in its becoming a component or otherwise affecting the characteristics of any food," according to International Food Information Council (IFIC) and US Food and Drug Administration (2010). In other words, food additives are those substances that are intentionally added to food during production, processing, treatment, packaging, transportation or storage of food (FDA, 2015). .

Food additives have been classified as below:

• Type of additives (FSSR, 2010, FDA 2015)

o Direct Additive: Additives added to food for a specific function e. g. xanthan gum - added in chocolate milk, bakery fillings, puddings

o Indirect Additive: Additives that comes in contact of food during packaging, storage or handling

• Source of origin (BBC, 2015)

o Natural: Those additives that occur naturally in foods, e. g. caramelised sugar used for colouring in cola

o Artificial: Those additives that donot naturally occur, e. g. Tartrazine is a synthetic colouring agent

• Function (Potter and Hotchkiss, 1995)

o Preservatives (b) Colouring (c) Flavouring (b) Emulsification 

Food producers use around 3,000 natural and artificial food additives to preserve and improve foods. Salt and sugar are two most common examples of natural food additives, whereas synthetic food additives are made in a laboratory and they are not found naturally in the food. However the chemical nature of synthetic additives is similar to that which occurs in nature. The purposes of adding food additives are to improve storage properties, healthfulness (fortifications, restorations, enrichments, nitrification, etc.), appealing (colours, flavours, sweeteners, etc.), processing, preparation (stabilisers, thickeners, emulsifiers, anticaking agents, antifoams) of food items and many others. One class of additives called potentiators that enhance the flavour of the product, which are largely based on amino acid and nucleotides (savoury flavourants). Detailed description of different additives along with their functions is given in Table 1:

Table 1: List of food additives and their specific functions and examples

Function Purpose Examples Uses Preservative Prevents bacteria, yeast,  molds growth Sodium benzoate, Sorbic acid, Soft drinks, acidic foods, breads, cake Antioxidant Prevents oxidation of lipids BHA, BHT, Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherols Potato chips, breakfast cereals Sequestrant Combine with trace metals and remove them from solution and prevent oxidation, off-colour reactions in foods Ethylenediamine Tetraacetic Acid (EDTA), Polyphosphates, Citric Acid Stabilises edible fats and oils, prevents weeping of butter, inhibits auto-oxidation of essential oils, retains flavour Surface active agents Acts as emulsifiers to stabilise mixtures oil-in-water, gas in liquid, gas in solid Lecithin (Natural), Mono-glycerides and Di-gylceride, their derivatives Confectionery, chocolate, creamy product Stabilisers and Thickeners They stabilise and thicken foods by combining with water to increase viscosity and to form gels Gum Arabic, Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC), Carrageenan, Pectin, Amylose, Gelatin Gravies, pie fillings, cake toppings, chocolate milk drinks, jellies, puddings, and salad dressings Buffers, Acids, Alkalis They are pH-adjusting and pH-controlling chemicals Fruit juice and fermentation products (Natural sources), acids, alkali and other chemically synthesised substances In baking industries as leavening agent, flavouring agent in confection, in processing of chocolates Food Colours Improve attractiveness of food product Annatto, Caramel, Carotene, Saffron Ice cream, butter, carbonated beverages Artificial Sweeteners Sweet in taste with low or no calorific value Neohesperidine Di-hydrochalcone, Saccharin, Aspartame Manufacturing of low-calorie foods-candies, frozen desserts, salad dressings Nutritional Additives Adds supplements and enrichment mixtures to a product Vitamins, Iodine, Lysine etc. Wheat flour, fruit juice, processed milk, margarine Flavouring Agents They are the substance that gives another substance flavour Natural: spices, herbs, essential oils; Synthetic: Benzaldehyde, Ethyl Butyrate (pineapple) Ice cream, desserts, processed foods, puddings, bakery items Flavour Enhancers/ Potentiators They donot have any flavour but enhance the flavours Monosodium glutamate (MSG) and the 5' -nucleotides Processed foods like especially soups, sauces, sausages

Indian Food Laws, Orders, Acts and Regulations Regarding Food Additives 

According to Food Safety andStandards Regulations (FSSR) 2011, the following declarations have been made with respect to food additives: (i) food additives falling under the following class titles shall be used together with the specific names or recognised international numerical identification i.e. acidity regulator, acid, anticaking agent, antifoaming agent, antioxidant, bulking agent, colour, colour retention agent, emulsifier, emulsifying salt, firming agent, flour treatment agent, flavour enhancer, foaming agent, gelling agent, glazing agent, humectants, preservative, propellant, raising agent, stabiliser, sweetener, thickener

Addition of extraneous colouring matter to any food items should be mentioned on the label in capital letters just beneath the list of the ingredients in one of the following statements-

Contains Permitted Natural Colour(s) or Contains Permitted Synthetic Food Colour(s) or Contains Permitted Natural and Synthetic Food Colour(s)

On infant milk substitute and infant food labelling as per Regulation 4.4.1 (FSSR, 2010), the specific name of the food additives, if permitted, shall be declared in addition to appropriate class names. 

Food Additives (FSSR, 2010, 2015)

Allowed food additives are only those which are specified in these regulations and in Appendix A of this regulation. 

Colouring matter (FSSR, 2010, 2015)

(1) The addition of colouring matter to any article of food except as specifically permitted by these regulations is prohibited.

(2) Except as otherwise provided in these regulations and appendices, the natural colouring principles whether isolated from natural colours or produced synthetically may be used in or upon any article of food.

(3) Inorganic colouring matters and pigments shall not be added to any article of food unless otherwise provided in these regulations and appendices.

(4) No synthetic food colours/mixture thereof except the given in these laws shall be used in food.

Artificial Sweeteners (Regulation 6.1.5, FSSR, 2010, 2015)

Artificial sweeteners mentioned in this Act, may be used only in the food articles and in quantities not exceeding given as per this Act 4.4.5 (24, 25, 26, 27, 28 & 29)

Preservatives (Regulation 6.1.5, FSSR, 2010, 2015) - “Preservative” means a substance which when added to food is capable of inhibiting, retarding or arresting the process of fermentation, acidification or other decomposition of food. No person shall use in or upon a food more than one class II preservative. No nitrate or nitrite shall be added to any infant food.

Antioxidants 

Antioxidant is asubstance which when added to food retards or prevents oxidative deterioration of food and does not include sugar, cereal, oils, flours, herbs and spices. No antioxidant other than lecithin, ascorbic acid and tocopherol shall be added to any food (FSSR, 2010).

Emulsifying and stabilising agents (Regulation 6.1.5, FSSR, 2010, 2015)

No emulsifying or stabilising agents shall be used in any food, except where the use of emulsifying or stabilising agent is specifically permitted. 

Use of emulsifying and stabilising agents in fruit products - The following emulsifying and stabilising agents may be added to fruit products: (a) Pectin (b) Sodium alginate (c) Calcium alginate (d) Alginic acid (e) Propylene glycol alginate.

Use of emulsifying and stabilising agents in frozen desserts – The emulsifying and stabilising agents as defined under the Regulation 6.1.5 (1) may be added to frozen desserts.

Anticaking agents (FSSR, 2010, 2015)

Restriction on use of anticaking agents- No anticaking agents shall be used in any food except where the use of anticaking agents is specifically permitted.

Antifoaming agents in edible oils and fats- (1) Dimethyl polysiloxane, food grade, may be used as an antifoaming agent in edible oils and fats for deep fat frying upto a maximum limit of 10 parts per million.

Use of release agents in confectionery- Spreadasil silicon spray (Dimethyl polysiloxane) if used, as release agent in confectionery, shall not exceed 10 ppm of the finished product.

Flavouring agents and related substances (FSSR, 2010, 2015)

(1) Flavouring agents; (2) Use of antioxidants, emulsifying and stabilising agents and food preservatives in flavour; (3) Use of anticaking agent in flavours; (4) Restriction on use of flavouring agents; (5) Solvent in flavour; (6) Glycerol esters of wood resins (FSSR, 2010, 2015).

Negative effect of food additives on human health 

Strange rashes that appear on the body; Erratic behaviours and moods; Self stimulatory behaviours; Waking up in the middle of the night; Having a difficult time with their stools (constipation, diarrhoea, and undigested foods); Headaches; Allergies; Hyperactivity; Long-term illnesses; Negative Effects of MSG on Health; Toxicity and potent carcinogenic nature of nitrates (III); Toxicity of sulphur dioxide; Potent carcinogenic nature of saccharin.

Conclusion

The details of the food additive laws, regulations and orders can be obtained from official website of FSSAI, WHO, Codex Alimentarius. Natural food additives are always better, safer and easier than artificial. Even though some chemicals in food are approved but they are not free of adverse reactions. The use of food additives must be controlled and monitored by effective research and governmental regulations.