FSSAI on front foot to tackle food safety officer scarcity

Nearly 50 percent of the states are understaffed and the food samples that are collected annually for analysis are also well below estimates reports Shweta Kothari of CNBC-TV18.

There is an acute shortage of food safety officers in the country which has prompted the national food regulator FSSAI to send a call to various states in the country. 

Nearly 50 percent of the states are understaffed and the food samples that are collected annually for analysis are also well below estimates reports Shweta Kothari of CNBC-TV18.

The food regulator has told CNBC-TV18 that it is in discussion with states to fill these vacant posts and did say that the inspections are below optimum level currently in the country.

Weight loss food also to be checked

Food given to patients in slimming and weight loss centres will be checked and certified by FSSAI.

Hyderabad: Food given to patients in slimming and weight loss centres will be checked and certified by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India as it wants to regulate these health foods and check their impact on patients. According to draft regulations by FSSAI, foods will have to be labeled and verified for their health efficacy on those who are prescribed these products.

A senior food inspector in the city said, “These foods are now being brought under the ambit of the food department as it is important to standardize and regulate the industry. There are too many combinations of weight loss foods which are being prescribed in the market. But what is the efficacy of these products? These tests have to be conducted from time to time and for that reason an exercise in regulation is being carried out.”

The draft proposals have been sent to all the units and a proper scientific method will be followed in classifying the foods so that people are aware of what they are consuming. At present, grievances are directly being registered with food inspectors in the municipal limits or with drug inspectors. But this exercise will also work towards creating a redressal system to tackle these issues.

Unauthorised hostels crop up in Kozhikode

Women’s Commission seeks urgent report from civic bodies on the increase in number

KOZHIKODE: The Kerala Women’s Commission has directed the local bodies in the district to submit a report on the number of authorised and unauthorised hostels functioning in the district immediately. The commission has also sought a report on the alleged spurt in the number of illegal facilities. The move comes after several complaints by inmates about the lack of facilities and security provided. Commission member Noorbina Rasheed forwarded a circular to the local body authorities seeking a detailed report.

Although only 24 hostels have been registered in the District at Corporation and municipality levels, more than 100 other illegal hostels are functioning here. Several people have also started accommodating students and working persons in their homes as paying guests but have not offered adequate facilities. According to the Commission, women from economically weak families, who sought accommodation at such hostels, were given poor facilities. Based on the complaints, the Commission pointed out that the problems were unhygienic conditions, poor water and power supply and ill-treatment of the inmates by hostel owners.

“We understand that even authorised hostels, mainly run by educational institutions, function without a licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and accommodate students in inhuman conditions”. “We are paying nearly `4,000 to `5,000 per month, but we are not satisfied with the facilities offered”, said Anila Mathew, an inmate of a city hostel here, which claims to be authorised. In spite of the hostel being located in the heart of the city, there is no security which has often led to drunkards entering the hostel.

Adding to these woes, 10 women were accommodated in a room but a single bathroom was allocated for two rooms, she added. Police officials here also said that these illegal hostels were allowing people from other states without certificates to prove identify or a school card. “We have also got information that youngsters who escape from juvenile homes take sanctuary in these illegal hostels and get involved in various crimes, said Vinod P, city police official here.

Under the first phase of project clean street food FSSAI has trained more than 20,000 street food vendors in food safety and hygiene

Food vendors should use clean utensils for preparing food. This is the first & most important step, to ensure that the purity of food is maintained.

Preservatives may increase the life span of food, but need to be used cautiously!

Colouring and other additives can have a negative impact on consumers if not put within a permissible amount. Presentation is important for vendors but not at the cost of the health of consumers!

Your kitchen should always be clean before you begin cooking. An unclean kitchen is a hub of bacteria & microorganisms, which can settle on your food & make it unfit for consumption

Illegal shops, abattoirs mushrooming in city, says audit report

Illegal shops and slaughter houses are proliferating in the city.

From five-star hotels to super markets, food malls and bakeries, a large number of commercial establishments are operating in the city without obtaining the statutory licence to Dangerous and Offensive Trades and, Factories from the civic administrators. A report of the Local Fund Audit wing of the State government shows a list of 43 such units. This includes two luxury hotels on Willingdon Island and Fort Kochi and a supermarket in Ernakulam North.

The auditors have pulled up the officials for not responding to three consecutive notes regarding the illegal functioning of the shops in the city, the report said.

The civic authority also failed to ensure that the shops that had obtained the licences earlier renewed them on time. It was the responsibility of the officials of the Health Wing of the local body to ensure that the shops are functioning after obtaining the mandatory licence. “The local body has sustained huge revenue loss on this account,” the auditors said.

Illegal slaughtering

The auditors have put on record the thriving illegal slaughtering of animals for meat in the city. The Kerala Municipalities Act has banned the slaughtering of animals outside the licensed abattoirs.

The abattoir of the Kochi Corporation, which was functioning at Kaloor, had not obtained the licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, it was reported.

Keep an extra vigil on sensitive food junctions: CFS

In this regard, the enforcement staffs of District Food Safety Offices of South Andaman and North and Middle Andaman conducted surprise raids on the Food Business Operators involved in manufacture and sale of prepared foods at Jirkatang, Middle Strait of South Andaman jurisdiction and Oralkatcha at Baratang of North and Middle Andaman jurisdiction on 16.09.2016. During the raids 25 Food Business Operators was served with Compounding Notices for violation of different sections under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and 11 Food Business Operators is being served with Improvement Notices. Further realization of fine imposed on the Food Business Operators is under process.

The Commissioner Food Safety has further warned the Food Business Operators of all food junctions in A&N Islands to maintain strict personal hygiene, cleanliness and also to wear proper dress code during the process of manufacture and sale of prepared foods. Any laxity will be viewed seriously and action under the relevant sections of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 will be initiated against the errant Food Business Operators.

AMSU bans Coke products

Following failure of the dealers of soft drinks to clarify the issue of tampering the manufacturing dates, AMSU has today declared that products manufactured by Coca Cola will be banned indefinitely with immediate effect.

Speaking to reporters at AMSU, Hqs located at DM College campus, AMSU secretary general Sanjit Sarangthem said that three dealers namely SK Enterprises, SB Enterprises and BS Enterprises were summoned to clarify the matter on or before September 15. Except for BS Enterprises, both SK Enterprises and SB Enterprises failed to turn up.

Therefore, it has been understood that these local dealers had been conspiring with non-local representatives of Coca Cola company to dupe the innocent public of Manipur, he said.

The State Government, which should have taken the matter seriously, is still silent on the issue, Sanjit Sarangthem added.

“Considering the health hazards these products can cause, AMSU will no longer allow any company affiliated to Coca Cola and agents to distribute or sell soft drinks manufactured by Coca Cola in Manipur till justified action is initiated under the Consumers Protection Act 1986 and Food Safety and Standards Act 2006,” he said.

Indian entrepreneur sells ‘untouchable’ foods to challenge caste bias

A former rebel fighter and member of India's "untouchable" caste is taking on caste-based discrimination with packaged foods that would have been regarded as impure just decades ago.

India banned caste-based discrimination in 1955, but centuries-old attitudes persist, and lower-caste groups including Dalits are among the most marginalised communities. 

A former rebel fighter and member of India’s “untouchable” caste is taking on caste-based discrimination with packaged foods that would have been regarded as impure just decades ago.

Chandra Bhan Prasad, 58, was born into the Dalit Pasi community of pig rearers in northern India, considered untouchable in the ancient Hindu social hierarchy. Prasad and his wife recently launched ‘Dalit Foods’ online to sell spices, pickles and grains.

“I was born impure. But I have the right to sell pure,” Prasad said by phone from his office in New Delhi.

“I grew up with segregation and untouchability, but India has changed. I want to see how those who are born pure respond to my offering,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

India banned caste-based discrimination in 1955, but centuries-old attitudes persist, and lower-caste groups including Dalits are among the most marginalised communities.

Dalits were barred from public places including temples and water tanks frequented by higher-caste Hindus. Many higher-caste Hindus considered food cooked or served by Dalits to be impure.

It is this custom that Prasad is taking aim at.

Dalit Foods sells a small range of spices and grains, including chilli powder, turmeric powder, mango pickle, barley flour and lentils. More products will be added, Prasad said.

For three years, Prasad was a fighter with India’s Maoist insurgency that claims to fight for the rights of poor farmers and landless indigenous people. He became a Dalit campaigner and a champion of economic empowerment to end caste bias.

He became interested in food after three members of his family died of cancer.

“Food adulteration is a big problem, and is probably the biggest reason for our health problems today,” he said.

“And yet, I saw 80-year-old Dalits who were healthy and doing hard labour, largely because of what they were eating: pure, unprocessed food,” he said.

“SUPERFOODS”

The domestic packaged food market is forecast to be worth $50 billion by 2017 from about $32 billion last year, according to the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India.

Recent food-safety scares have led to greater awareness of adulteration.

While growing up, Prasad said he and others in his community were forced to eat coarse foods that were reserved for cattle and for servants. These included unpolished rice and millets.

“Millets were considered inferior food then. Today, they are called a superfood,” he said.

“We want to make Dalit foods like these popular,” he said.

A large hotel chain is buying Dalit Foods on a trial basis, and the number of customers – largely urban Indians – is rising, Prasad said.

Dalits are still often the targets of violence, with tens of thousands of crimes reported each year.

Last month, thousands of Dalits in Gujarat state pledged to boycott the dirty jobs traditionally thrust upon them in protest against the lynching of Dalit men by upper-caste Hindus.

“We have made a lot of progress, but Dalits are still not equal to the upper caste,” Prasad said.

“My business is a social experiment to see if India has really transformed, to see if people are willing to overcome their biases and customs for food that is pure,” he said.

Shot in the arm for food safety department

KOCHI: The food safety department inErnakulam, which was struggling with 14 vacant posts, finally heaved a sigh of relief as the government has approved the posting of 10 officials.

Sources in the department said that the 10 officials will be posted soon, without giving an exact joining date. At present the department has only two squads, comprising five members each, to conduct raids and rein in the sale of adulterated food items.

Assistant food safety commissioner, Ernakulam, Shibu K V said: "We can increase the number of raids and address the list of complaints with the arrival of more officials. As we don't have more officials we have only two squads, one concentrating in Muvattupuzha andKothamangalam areas. The other squad is busy in western and central regions of the district."

Plans are afoot to reorganize the existing squads and form five squads with a team of three members. 

The two squads conduct 70-75 raids and address around 100 public complaints each month.

Besides, they also collect samples for test.

FDA seizes 870kg of ghee worth more than 2.6 lakhs

Acting on a tip-off, theAurangabad Food and Drug Administration seized 870 kgs of unlabelled ghee worth Rs 2.60 lakhs, which was being sold at a dairy shop in N-3 Cidco area on Wednesday. The FDAofficials had kept a vigil on the sweet shops in the city during the Ganesh festival celebrations and also carried out surprise checks at four sweet shops, inspecting the quality of raw material used for preparing sweets and also examining the hygiene standards maintained by them. 

During the raid we found that the shop-owner was found to be violating the Food Safety and Standards Act-2006 and selling unlabelled ghee which raises suspicion of adulteration. "We seized 58 tins of ghee containing 15 kgs each, which weighed altogether 870kg of ghee, worth Rs 2.60 lakhs," said Ram Munde, the food safety officer.

"In a bid to ensure safety of citizens, the FDA officials were directed to keep a close vigil and inspect all concerned food establishments and ensure that high standards of quality are maintained in order to help prevent any cases of food poisoning. This issue becomes particularly important during the festivals where sweets are consumed in large quantities," said Anant Pardhi, FDA deputy joint commissioner (food), Aurangabad division. 

"The officials raided four places, of which one shop was selling ghee in adulterated form. Samples of the confiscated ghee have been sent to laboratory for further testing, the reports of which will be procured in 10 days," said Munde.

FDA Aurangabad division had also apprised the sweet and other food product dealers in the city of the norms and the criteria. They had also appealed all the Ganesh Mandals to register with them in case they are organizing bhandara during the 10-day festival.

FSSAI to classify 200 pesticides residues as Harmful to Humans

Since excessive use of antibiotics on animals can cause harm to humans consuming their meat and other products, there is need for stronger regulation.

"149 types of pesticide residues have been classified as potentially harmful to human health and environment by the FSSAI and a panel from FSSAI has further recommended adding 60-70 more remnants to be brought under the prohibited list" said Dr. A.K. Sharma, Consultant at Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) at a talk titled ‘The Food – Pesticides and Plastics in It!’ held at India International Center in New Delhi recently.

Dr Sharma also felt an urgent need for FSSAI to make stronger regulations on animal products as WHO has issued a warning on excessive use of antibiotics on animals.

Dr Sharma pointed out how pesticides are a major source of poisoning worldwide: "Three million agricultural workers in the developing world experience poisoning from pesticides concludes a report published by UN Environment Programme in 2014. The same report states that 25 million unorganised sector and industrial workers in the developing world may suffer from mild pesticide poisoning” he said. He highlighted that pesticide consumption accounted for a large percentage of poisoning deaths as 1/3 of poisoning deaths worldwide are attributed to their consumption. He favored restricting the sale of more potent pesticides.

Dr Sharma also shared that the same report attributed approximately 80,000 deaths every year to inadequate regulations and safety precautions on pesticides. 99% of pesticide related deaths occur in the developing world, he said.

Dr Sharma said that research has linked many of the pesticides to several health problems.

"American Association of Pediatrics has strictly advised limiting children's access to pesticides and the 2014 edition of Epidemiological Review established correlation between Autism and exposure to certain categories of pesticides. Impact of pesticides on reproductive hormones and their correlation to cancers, especially lymphoma and leukemia is also well documented." he explained.

Dinakaran News

Hygiene in Restaurants

As pleasant eating out is for a diner, maintaining hygiene in the restaurant could he as complex a task for the restaurant’s staff. This pertains to restaurants housed in hotels too. A small gaffe in following the scheduled routine can result in food contamination and loss of loyal customers. ‘Thankfully, emphasis on hygiene in restaurants and in other eating joints is now growing.

“The total food services market today stands at Rs. 3,09,110 crores and has grown at 7.7 percent since our last report in 2013. This is projected to grow to Rs. 4,98,130 crores at a CAGR of 10 percent by 2021,” Riyaaz Amlani, President, NRAI, said at the recent launch of the India Food Services Report (IFSR) 2016.

But will the growth in the food service market he accompanied by a rise in restaurant’s hygiene standards as well? Ibis is quite likely in the Indian context because the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is reportedly now in the process of making hygiene enforcing norms stricter.

A sub-group consisting of industry bodies like the NRAI, the Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) and the FSSAI have already been formed to amend rules that govern safety standards at eating out establishments in the country, according to the report.

While confirming the development to Business Standard, a prominent business daily, FSSAI’s Chief Executive Officer Pawan Kumar Agarwal recently said enforcing food safety standards at eating places was a must.

“Hotels, restaurants and eating joints need an FSSAI licence to operate but food safety standards are not necessarily met. We wanted to get a sense of what the industry’s view was on the subject and whether they were open to the idea of stringent enforcement,” Agarwal was quoted as saying.

So maintaining high hygiene standards is set to become not just a requirement for the restaurants in the country to attract new customers and retain them but also a compulsion to be in the business in the very first place,

How to Build a Hygienic Restaurant

Experts feel that keeping in mind a few factors can help those who are planning to open a new restaurant or running a restraurant score high on the hygiene quotient. “Ihe following of stringent hygiene conditions is also very much relevant for restaurants located inside hotels & resorts or rather within any hospitality property.

According to Chef Jerson Fernandes, the former Corporate Chef, Berggruen Hotels, an ideal restaurant should he in compliance with all HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) best practices which mainly include toper hygiene and sanitation best practices such as ensuring having an error-free ventilation system for flow of fresh air and exit of used air and having an error-free drainage system for smoother waste and water disposal.

The location of the restaurant too plays an important role, he said. “Ihe restaurant should not be located close to a dumping ground or a factory emitting harmful carbons, Fernandes pointed out. “The restaurant should have easy access to fresh air and ample space for garbage storage. One of the important factors here is that the restaurant should also have a strong hygiene and sanitation training plan, both before and after opening,” he noted.

Shamima Sinha, Food & Beverage Manager, Davanam Sarovar Portico Suites, Bangalore, agreed that a restaurant should be ideally built as per the climatic conditions of the area.

“If the area is too dusty there should he screens to cut out the dust. It should not have too many nooks and corners, Hygiene 1 a they accumulate too much dust,” she explained.

“The restaurant should he built in a way where the flooring is not glossy and slippery. If the flooring is carpeted one should ensure that there are enough plug points for regular shampooing/ vacuunig. Ensure that the drainage and 3, plumbi , systems arc properly done,” Shamin a said.

Building a restaurant, that can meet high standards of hygiene and can also ease the daily maintenance process, demands paying attention to very small details, as was evident from Shamima’s suggestions.

“Direct lighting should have screens and if indirect lighting is used, one should ensure that the lamp shades are not collectors of dust. No crevices on walls and ceilings.and edges and corners to be curved,” she noted.

Shamima further noted that crockery and cutlery should be non-porous. Paying attention to small details is very important because, as Fernandes pointed out, the price you pay for not taking care of hygiene and sanitation in your hospitality facility can he very expensive. I Few critical items on the checklist for an MB Manager, whether he/she is employed in a stand-alone restaurant or in a restaurant located inside of a given hotelc according to Fernandes, should include:

• Regular trainings on hygiene and sank lion best practices to familiarise and !trail staff on the same.

• Ensuring all cleaning schedules and deadlines are met on daily, weekly and monthly basis. The policy of zero tolerunce on any cleaning or sanitation a issue’s should be strictly followed.

• Ensure all pest control practices are strictly followed and a checklist is maintained for the same.

• Ensure you have a separate zone for smokers to not disturb the environment of non-smokers.

• Ensure all temperature logs are followed strictly for both hot and cold food items being served to guests to facilitate the food quality is maintained and cross- contamination risks 4re eliminated.

• No staff should report on duty without a clean uniform.

• Most importantly, regular audits and checks of the same to ensure guest expectations are met.

Shamima added that grooming standards of staff should adhere to cuisine, decor and climatic conditions of the place. “Toilet and washrooms, if attached, should have a separate entity and should not be part of the restaurant.” she noted.

Upholstery in restaurants should be such that it does not accumulate dust, and clearance table should be separate from side station, she opined.

Personal Hygiene a Priority

“Cleanliness begins at home. You might serve the best food and drink in your restaurant but if your staff is not well groomed or lack personal hygiene, that’s of little use. Nobody wants to dine in a place which has staff-who lack personal hygiene,” Fernandes said.

“Staff needs to be trained on this right from day one of their joining. ‘Ihe importance of personal hygiene has to be explained to them right at the start,” he Shamima Sinha HOT L Business Review said.

Some important and basic aspects of personal hygiene for restaurants’ personnel, which is also relevant for the personnel of restaurants located inside hotels, according to Fernandes, are:

• To wash hands after using the washrooms or smoking;

• To change uniforms after a complete single shift;

• To sanitise hands once every three hours while on duty/after shaking hands with guests;

• To wear a proper head gear/hand gloves while handling food.

Employees are the most important link in preventing food-borne illness. Good personal hygiene, including proper and frequent hand-washing, is the best way to prevent food-borne illness, Shamima pointed out. According to her, restaurant employees should adhere to the following practices to maintain proper personal hygiene:

Hand-washing: Always make sure that hands are washed and thoroughly dried before starting work, between tasks, and before working with food products, equipment, utensils, and linens.

Cuts, Wounds, and Sores: Any cuts, wounds, or open sores on the hands and arms of restaurant’s personnel must be completely covered by a waterproof bandage. Wear single-use gloves or finger cots over any bandages on the hands and fingers.

Hair Restraints: Employees are required to wear hair restraints such as hair nets, hats or scarves that are effective in keeping their hair in control.

Proper Work Clothing: Restaurant’s employees who prepare or serve food products or wash and sanitise equipment or utensils must wear clean outer garments. It is recommendjd that aprons, Chef jackets, or smocks are worn. Employers must provide adequate storage areas for employee’s personal belongings. If employees routinely change clothing at the establishment, a room or area must be designated and used for that purpose. Such changing areas must be separate from food, clean equipment and linen.

Jewellery: •Ibe wearing of jewelry of restaurant’s personnel should be limited to plain handed rings only. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and other jewellery should not he worn when preparing or serving food.

Are your kids gorging on unwanted calories?

Watching advertisements or online videos on mouth-watering food, does give rise to intense cravings for many of us, and, more often than not, it leads to over-indulgence. If this is what we adults go through, imagine what kids feel. A recent study found thatchildren are likelier to have extra calories post watching advertisements for 'unhealthy' food. There have been many similar studies done that have come to the conclusion that ads showing high calorie, low nutrient, energy-dense foods affect children as young as two and also teenagers. The study states that within 15 minutes of watching ads of unhealthy foods, children are more likely to consume another 30 calories which possibly contributed to their overall weight gain.

Heightened consumption of calorie dense fast food items

Senior bariatric surgeon, Dr Ramen Goel, says, "Impact of broadcast advertising of food products targeted at children is well established with brand recall by children for upto two weeks. This results in consumption of specific food items, purchase preference and insistence with family members." He says that this has been discussed extensively by WHO sponsored committees and they have come out with guidelines to limit food product advertising on TV.

Dr Goel adds, "The industry has assured self-regulation, however, most of the regulation applied by industry in western world is for children TV and not on family TV programs. Additionally, most of non-participant companies continue to advertise unregulated even on children TV. Unfortunately no such regulatory environment exists in India. Impressionable minds of children are bombarded with intelligently designed ads resulting in heightened consumption of calorie dense fast food items. Parental control is unlikely to influence children's choices."

Lose track of food while eating

One of the serious problems of watching TV or movies while eating is that one does not realise how much one ends up eating. Senior pediatrician Dr Pawan Sureka reiterates saying, "Most of the time we are all so lost in the TV or movie we are watching that we keep on munching even though we are not hungry. This is further worsened by the tempting advertisements, especially so for children and leads to over consumption of foods with high calories."

Screen time eats up on exercise time

When your child spends time watching TV, the time for outdoor activities is decreased considerably. So, there is no time to burn the extra calories consumed. Experts say that this adds to childhood obesity, which, if not checked on time, goes on to become adulthood obesity.

Tips to deal with this

• Parents need to realise that their kids are not doomed just because they are consuming media.
• Discuss in detail with your child the benefits of various food groups.
• Make them aware how unhealthy food could be detrimental.
• Reduce your child's TV watching time. Children like to imitate, so reduce your TV watching time too.
• Discuss why some products are advertised while some nutritional foods are not.
• Follow healthy food habits and they will copy you.
• Give them healthy food options.
• Make time for family sports.

Vendor arrested for milk adulteration and tampering with dairy brands in Juhu

A day ahead of Anant Charurtdashi, last day of the Ganesh festival, when milk is in high demand, the Juhu police along with Food & Drugs Administration (FDA) seized 120 litres of milk and arrested a vendor for tampering with the packaging of famous dairy brands.

According to the Juhu police, a citizen alerted and informed them about adulterated milk being sold near Irla Junction at Juhu in Vile Parle west. The Juhu police and food inspector Ananya Rege reached the spot at 7.30 on Wednesday. The accused milk vendor, Giri Kandikatala, 45,was arrested.

Giri allegedly tampered with the milk bags at his home in Kapaswadi and Shivaji Nagar on Versova link.

The 120 litres of adulterated milk has been destroyed under supervision of Rege after samples were taken from them. The machinery and tools used for tampering and resealing milk bags have been seized.

“As milk has a high demand for making sweets and also for preparing prasad, some vendors adulterate it with water to make more money,” said a police official.

An FIR has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal code, Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Food Safety and Standards Regulation (FSSR) 2011.

DINAMALAR NEWS

உணவு விற்பனை உரிமம் பெற வியாபாரிகளிடம் விழிப்புணர்வு நோட்டீஸ் விநியோகம்

நாகை, செப். 16:

நாகை பெரிய கடைத் தெ ரு வில் உள்ள உணவு விற் பனை நிலை யங் க ளுக்கு, உணவு விற் ப னை யா ளர் கள் உரி மம், பதிவு சான்று பெறு வது தொடர் பான நோட் டீஸ் களை உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் அன் ப ழ கன் நேற்று வழங் கி னார். பின் னர் அவர் கூறி யது:

உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் தர நிர் ணய சட் டம் 2006ன்படி உணவு விற் ப னை யா ளர் கள் உணவு விற் பனை செய் வ தற் கான உரி மம், பதிவு சான்று பெறு வ தற் கான காலக் கெடு கடந்த ஆகஸ்ட் மாதம் 4ம் தேதி யு டன் முடி வ டைந்து விட் டது. எனவே உணவு விற் ப னை யில் ஈடு பட் டி ருக் கும் டீ, காபி, பல கார கடை, ஓட் டல் கள், பேக் க ரி கள், ஸ்வீட், காய் கறி கடை கள், ஆடு, மாடு, கோழி கறி, மீன் விற் பனை கடை கள், சாலை யோர உணவு விற் ப னை யா ளர் கள், திரு மண மண் ட பங் கள், சமை யல் தொழில் செய் ப வர் கள், அடைக் கப் பட்ட உணவு பொருட் கள் தயா ரிப் ப வர் கள்,

சத் து ணவு, ஊட் டச் சத்து மையங் கள், ரேசன் க டை கள், அன் ன தான மையங் கள், மொத்த விற் பனை ஏஜென் சி கள் உள் ளிட்ட அனைத்து நிறு வ னங் கள், தனி நபர் கள் உட ன டி யாக மாவட்ட அரசு தலைமை மருத் து வ மனை வளா கத் தில் இயங்கி வரும் உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை அலு வ ல கத் தையோ அல் லது நாகை நக ராட்சி உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் அன் ப ழ கனை9442214055 என்ற கைபேசி எண்ணை தொடர்பு கொண்டோ விண் ணப் பிக் கும் முறை குறித்து கேட் ட றி ய லாம்.

வரு டத் திற்கு ரூ.12 லட் சத் திற் குள் உணவு விற் பனை செய் யப் பட் டால் ரூ.100ம், அதற்கு மேலி ருந் தால் ரூ.2 ஆயி ர மும், கரு வூ லத் தில் செலுத்தி அதற் கான ரசீ து டன், புகைப் ப டம், அடை யாள அட்டை நகல், தேவை யான ஆவ ணங் க ளு டன் தாங் களே ஆன் லை னில் விண் ணப் பிக் க லாம். அல் லது உணவு பாது காப்பு துறை அலு வ ல கத்தை தொடர்பு கொள் ள லாம். உரி மம், பதிவு சான்று பெறாத நிறு வ னங் கள் மீது உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் தர நிர் ணய சட் டம் 2006ன்படி நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும்.

இவ் வாறு அவர் கூறி னார். நிகழ்ச் சி யில், நாகை வட் டார உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் கள் மகா ரா ஜன், சதீஷ் ஆகி யோர் கலந்து கொண் ட னர்.

MPCB acts against units selling unpackaged water

Nagpur: The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has swung into action against local manufacturing units selling unpackaged and unsealed potable water.

On September 6, TOI had reported that the city has many water manufacturing units that are selling 'drinking' water in unpackaged and unsealed chilled cans and jars. All these units are operating without licences from Bureau of India Standards (BIS) or Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) which are mandatory for selling packaged drinking water.

MPCB is also identifying such units and taking action against them for flouting environmental laws and adding to pollution. MPCB officials informed that around 40-50 such units have been issued non-compliance letters. "The units do not discharge waste water scientifically which leads to water pollution. We have directed them to file a reply immediately on the basis of which we will issue show cause or closure notices," the officials said.

During visit to such units, TOI had found shocking practices. In one of the units, the rejected water was released unscientifically in a drainage line which was close to a well. According to groundwater experts, the discharged water can contaminate groundwater and nearby wells and borewells if it contains pollutants. The rejected water, which is released after RO treatment, is said to be highly concentrated with pollutants and chemicals, sometimes even double than the original raw water.

The units are also withdrawing large quantities of groundwater on daily basis, without any consent from the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB). BIS rules say that a water manufacturing unit must have sufficient space for a separate laboratory, raw water storage facility, packing area and loading and unloading points. However, most of these local units are running in a small rooms in unhygienic conditions where processes like water storage, Reverse Osmosis (RO) set-up, chilling and washing dirty containers and refilling them are being done at the same time and at same place.

Are mandals ready to comply with FDA’s diktat on mahaprasad?

T en days of revelry shall finally come to an end as the star guest — Lord Ganesha — is all set to bid adieu today on Anant Chaturdashi. There aremahaprasad distributions being organised by majority of the Ganesh mandals today and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made it mandatory for all the Sarvajanik Ganesh Mandals to get a licence for mahaprasad distribution and strictly follow the guidelines issued by them. But are the Ganesh mandals complying with the same is the big question? We find out...

'FED UP OF TOO MANY PERMITS' Shri Chintaharan Ganesh Utsav Mandal Been around for: 15 years "We are really fed up of taking permissions for every little thing. It is a community celebration and there are so many permits we need to seek. If we are being bothered and burdened with too many diktats then we shall stop our Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav from next year." Nicky Chhoutani (active member)

'NO CLARITY ABOUT THE RULES' Shri Sarvajanik Bal Ganesh Utsav Mandal, Bhende Layout Been around for: 28 years"We registered with FDA last moment yesterday because we had no clarity about the rules. We did it simply because it's mandatory. But, I don't think there is any need of such stringent rules to be imposed upon us. We are serving masala bhaat and shira today, keeping FDA's guidelines in mind - like keeping the cooking area clean and wearing gloves, headgear and apron while cooking the prasad." Eshwar Dhengle (president of the mandal)

'WHAT'S THE NEED TO FRET SO MUCH' Shree Ashtvinayak Bahuudheshiya SansthaBeen around for: 27 years "The entire food for mahaprasad is cooked at my home under my supervision. The hygiene factor is well taken care of. We are aware and duly follow the guidelines by FDA. Having said this, I don't think it is physically possible for the officers to inspect all the mandals in one day, so what's the need to fret? But I have kept my FDA permit ready."Munna Jaiswal (One of the founders of the mandal)

Not all street food vendors are unhygenic, the real test lies in distinguishing the right from the wrong vendor. Here are few tips you can keep in mind when making that decision

UN agency launches action plan to tackle threat of 'superbugs'

Good farm hygiene and animal health practices can greatly reduce the need to use antimicrobial medicines. 

14 September 2016 – The United Nations agricultural agency today released a new action plan to help countries combat the spread of antimicrobial resistance in their food supply chains and to counter the growing threat of medicine-resistant ‘superbugs.’

“Antimicrobial medicines play a critical role in the treatment of diseases of farm animals and plants. Their use is essential to food security, to our well-being, and to animal welfare,” said the UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) in a news release.

“However, the misuse of these drugs, associated with the emergence and spread of antimicrobial-resistant micro-organisms, places everyone at great risk,” it added.

According to the agency, its Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance will focus on improving awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) issues among farmers, veterinary professionals, authorities, policymakers and food consumers.

The Plan will also focus building national capacities for surveillance and monitoring of AMR and antimicrobial use (AMU) in food and agriculture, strengthen governance related to AMU and AMR in food and agriculture, and promote good practices and the prudent use of antimicrobials in these systems.

Globally, the use of antimicrobial substances has grown steadily over the past 50 years as animal and fish farmers increasing use these medicines are used to treat diseases, or to prevent them from spreading further. In some cases – albeit to a lesser degree – antimicrobial substances are spread on plant crops.

Additionally, antimicrobials are added in low concentrations to animal feed as a way to stimulate growth – a practice that is increasingly discouraged but still relatively common.

Checking the increase of antimicrobial resistance

FAO Focus Areas of work as they relate to the five objectives of the Global Action Plan on increasing global Antimicrobial Resistance

To cope with the challenges of AMR, the UN agricultural agency underlined the importance of reducing the need for antimicrobial medicines in the first place, such as through vaccinating farm animals to build their natural ability to withstand disease. It also stressed that by adhering to best practices for hygiene, biosecurity, and animal care and handling, farms can minimise outbreaks and spread of diseases.

“Another key need is the lack of a global, standardized approach to data used to track the use of antimicrobials in livestock,” said FAO in the release, referring to a report by the UK Government's O'Neill commission which found that only 42 countries have such systems in place.

“Risks from AMR in agriculture are higher in countries where laws, regulations and monitoring systems are weak,” the agency noted.

On its ongoing work, FAO also mentioned that the joint FAO-World Health Organization (WHO) Codex Alimentarius Commission, which sets international food quality and safety standards, has already laid the foundations for food safety control authorities to tackle AMR in food via a range of standards on AMR, veterinary drugs and their residues, food hygiene, and animal feed. Codex recently established a dedicated AMR task force.

In the release, FAO also mentioned that the launch of the Action Plan is particularly timely given that the risk to human health posed by AMR as well as its connection to and impact on agriculture will be discussed at a high-level UN event to be held on 21 September in New York on the side-lines of the General Assembly.

அனுமதி பெறாவிட்டால் நடவடிக்கை பாயும் தீபாவளி பலகாரம் தயாரிப்பு உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் எச்சரிக்கை

சேலம், செப்.15:

அனு மதி பெறா மல் தீபா வளி பல கா ரம் தயா ரிப் பில் ஈடு ப டு வோர் மீது நட வ டிக்கை மேற் கொள் ளப் ப டும் என சேலம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப்பு அலு வ லர் எச் ச ரித் துள் ளார்.

தீபா வளி பண் டி கை யின் போது நிரந் தர கடை கள் மட் டு மின்றி திரு மண மண் ட பம், வீடு க ளில் பல கா ரங் களை தயா ரித்து விற் பனை செய் கின் ற னர். நடப் பாண்டு தீபா வளி பண் டிகை அக் டோ பர் 29ம் தேதி கொண் டா டப் ப டு கி றது. தீபா வளி பண் டி கைக்கு இன் னும் ஒன் றரை மாதமே உள் ளது. இத னால் தமி ழ கம் முழு வ தும் உள்ள ஸ்வீட் ஸ்டால், திரு மண மண் ட பம், வீடு க ளில் இனிப்பு, கார வகை கள் தயா ரிக்க பலர் ஆயத் த மாகி வரு கின் ற னர். இது போன் ற வர் கள் கட் டா யம் உரிய அனு மதி பெற்ற பின்பே, பல கா ரங் களை தயா ரிக்க வேண் டும் உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை அதி கா ரி கள் உத் த ர விட் டுள் ள னர்.

சேலம் உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை அலு வ லர் டாக் டர் அனு ராதா கூறி ய தா வது:

தமி ழ கத் தில் பத் தா யி ரத் திற் கும் ேமற் பட்ட கடை க ளில் நிரந் தர இனிப்பு, கார வ கை கள் தயா ரிக் கப் ப டு கி றது. இவர் களை தவிர 2 ஆயி ரத் திற் கும் மேற் பட் டோர், தீபா வ ளிக் காக தற் கா லி க மாக பல கா ரம் தயா ரிக்க ஆயத் த மாகி வரு கின் ற னர். இவர் கள் திரு மண மண் ட பம், வீடு க ளில் இனிப்பு, கார வகை கள் தயா ரிக் கின் ற னர். தற் கா லி க மாக பல கா ரம் தயா ரிப் போர் கண் டிப் பாக சம் பந் தப் பட்ட மாவட் டங் க ளில் உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை அலு வ ல கத் தில் பதிவு செய்து, உரிய அனு மதி பெற வேண் டும். பதிவு செய் யா மல் பண் டிகை கால பல கா ரங் கள் தயா ரிக் கக் கூ டாது.

உரி மம் பெறா மல் இனிப்பு, கார வகை களை தயா ரித் தால், அந்த உரி மை யா ளர் மீது உரிய நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும். பல கா ரங் கள் செய்ய பயன் ப டுத் தப் ப டும் மைதா, சர்க் கரை, அரி சி மாவு, நெய், டால்டா, எண் ணெய் உள் ளிட்ட பொருட் க ளும் தர மா ன தாக இருக்க வேண் டும். பாத் தி ரங் கள் நல் ல மு றை யில் இருக்க வேண் டும். சுத் தி க ரிக் கப் பட்ட தண் ணீரை மட் டுமே உப யோ கப் ப டுத்த வேண் டும்.

இதை கண் கா ணிப் ப தற் காக குழு அமைக் கப் பட் டுள் ளது.

பல கா ரங் களை நல்ல முறை யில் பேக் கிங் செய்து, அதில் தயா ரிக் கப் பட்ட தேதி, உரி மை யா ளர் முக வரி, எத் தனை நாட் க ளுக் குள் பயன் ப டுத்த வேண் டும் என் பதை கண் டிப் பாக அச் சிட வேண் டும். பாலில் தயா ரிக் கப் ப டும் பொருட் கள் 3 நாட் க ளுக் குள் பயன் ப டுத் த வேண் டும்.

இனிப்பு வகை கள் 10 நாட் கள் வரை யும், கார வகை கள் 25 முதல் 30 நாட் கள் வரை யும் பயன் ப டுத் த லாம். வாடிக் கை யா ளர் கள் இனிப்பு, கார வகை களை வாங் கும் போது, அவை எந்த தேதி யில் தயா ரிக் கப் பட் டது என்று கேட்ட வாங் க வேண் டும். அதில் தயா ரிக் கப் பட்ட தேதி உள் ளதா என் பது குறித்து கண் கா ணிக் க வேண் டும். இவ் வாறு டாக் டர் அனு ராதா கூறி னார்.

கையுறை, தொப்பி அணி ய வேண் டும்

‘‘இனிப்பு, கார வகை கள் தயா ரிக் கும் இடங் க ளில் உணவு பாது காப் புத் துறை அதி கா ரி கள் ஆய்வு செய் வார் கள். இந்த ஆய் வின் போது ஸ்வீட் தயா ரிப் ப வர் கள் கையில் கையுறை, தலை யில் தொப்பி அணிந் தி ருக்க வேண் டும். நகங் களை சுத் த மாக வெட் டி யி ருக்க வேண் டும் என் றும் அறி வு றுத் தப் பட் டுள் ளது. அழுக்கு துணியை அணிந்து கொண்டு பல கா ரம் தயா ரிக் கக் கூ டாது. இது குறித்து அதி கா ரி கள் ஆய்வு செய் வார் கள். சேலம் மாவட் டத் தில் இது வரை பத் துக் கும் மேற் பட் ட வர் கள் உரி மம் கேட்டு பதிவு செய் துள் ள னர். இன் னும் ஒரு மாதத் திற்கு மேல் கால அவ கா சம் உள் ளது. இதற் காக சேலம், மேட் டூர், ஆத் தூர், இடைப் பாடி, ஓம லூர், நங் க வள்ளி, வாழப் பாடி உள் ளிட்ட பகு தி க ளில் ஏழு குழுக் கள் அமைக் கப் பட் டுள் ள து ’’ என் றும் அதி கா ரி கள் தெரி வித் த னர்.

வியாபாாிகள் நூதன மோசடி தரம் குறைவால் மக்கள் ஏமாற்றம் ‘போலி’ கொல்லிமலை மளிகை பொருட்கள் விற்பனை

 

நாமக் கல், செப்.15:

நாமக் கல் மற் றும் அதன் சுற் று வட் டார பகு தி க ளில், கொல் லி மலை பொருட் கள் என கூறி பலாப் ப ழம், பேரிக் காய், சீர கம் உள் ளிட்ட பொருட் களை மோச டி யாக விற்று வரு கின் ற னர்.

நாமக் கல் மாவட் டத் தின் பிர தான சுற் று லா த ல மான கொல் லி ம லை யில் வசிக் கும் விவ சா யி கள், பலாப் ப ழம், பேரிக் காய், சோம்பு, பட்டை, லவங் கம், கச கசா, கடுகு, வெந் த யம், சீர கம் போன் ற வற்றை இயற்கை முறை விவ சா யத் தில் சாகு படி செய் கின் ற னர்.

ரசா யன கலப் பில் லாத இந்த பொருட் களை வாங்கி செல் வதை பொது மக் கள் வழக் க மாக கொண் டுள் ள னர். நேரில் வர முடி யாத பலர், கொல் லி ம லைக்கு வரும் உற வி னர் க ளி டம் பணத்தை கொடுத்து, பொருட் களை வாங்கி உப யோ கித்து வரு கின் ற னர். கொல் லி ம லை யில் இயற் கை யாக விளைந்த விவ சாய பொருட் கள் அதிக ருசி யும், தர மும் கொண் ட தாக உள் ளது.

இத னால் இங்கு விளைந்த பொருட் களை நாமக் கல், குமா ர பா ளை யம், பள் ளி பா ளை யம், ராசி பு ரம், திருச் செங் கோடு உள் ளிட்ட பகு தி க ளில் விவ சா யி கள் விற் பனை செய் கின் ற னர். இந் நி லை யில் நாமக் கல் மற் றும் சுற் று வட் டார பகு தி க ளில், சிலர் கொல் லி மலை பொருட் கள் என கூறி மக் க ளி டம் மோச டி யாக விற் பனை செய்து வரு கின் ற னர்.

இது கு றித்து பொது மக் கள் கூறி யது:

நாமக் கல்-திருச் செங் கோடு சாலை யில் சனிக் கி ழமை தோறும் நடை பெ றும் சந் தை யில் மளி கைப் பொருட் களை வாங்க, தமி ழ கத் தின் பல் வேறு பகு தி க ளில் இருந் தும் மக் கள் வரு கின் ற னர்.

ஆனால், சந் தை யில் தற் போது விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டும் சீர கம், வெந் த யம், சோம்பு, பட்டை, லவங் கம், கச கசா, கடுகு ஆகி யவை கொல் லி ம லை யில் விளைந் தவை அல்ல. போலி யாக விற் கப் ப டும் பொருட் க ளில் தர மும், ருசி யும் இல்லை. கொல் லி மலை பொருட் கள் என வாங்கி செல் லும் வெளி யூரை சேர்ந் த வர் கள் தர மும், ருசி யும் இல் லா த தால் ஏமாற் றம் அடை கின் ற னர். இத னால் உண் மை யான கொல் லி மலை விவ சா யி க ளுக்கு அவப் பெ யர் ஏற் ப டு கி றது.

ஒரு முறை ஏமா றும் மக் கள், மறு முறை உண் மை யான கொல் லி மலை பொருட் களை கூட வாங்க தயங் கு கின் ற னர். சந் தை யில் மட் டு மின்றி, கடை வீதி, பஸ் ஸ்டாண்ட், உழ வர் சந்தை சாலை ரோடு, பூங்கா ரோடு, மோக னூர் சாலை என பல் வேறு பகு தி க ளில் போலி கொல் லி மலை விவ சாய பொருட் கள் விற் கப் ப டு கி றது. இதை தடுக்க சம் பந் தப் பட்ட அதி கா ரி கள் நட வ டிக்கை எடுக்க வேண் டும். இவ் வாறு பொது மக் கள் கூறி னர்.

இது பற்றி அதி கா ரி கள் கூறு கை யில், ‘நாமக் கல் பகு தி க ளில் போலி யான கொல் லி மலை பொருட் கள் விற் ப தாக புகார் வர வில்லை. அவ் வி தம் மோச டி யாக விற் பனை செய் வோர் பற்றி புகார் தெரி வித் தால், உரிய நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் ப டும். மேலும் பொருட் களை வாங் கும் போதே, அதன் தரம் மற் றும் சரி யான எடை யில் உள் ளதா என் பதை சரி பார்த்து பொது மக் கள் வாங்க வேண் டும்’ என் ற னர்.

New liquor safety regulations to keep responsible drinkers in high spirits

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Welcoming the central health ministry's notification of the draft of Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages Standards) Regulations, 2016, the representatives of both the bar hotel association and alcohol consumer protection forumhave said that the regulations, once in force, would pave the right way in preventing adulteration in liquor. However, they preferred to keep their fingers crossed on how effective the implementation would be in the state 'flooded with illicit or spurious liquor'.

At least the central government, through this draft regulations, has acknowledged that adulterated or quality-less liquor is being sold in various states, and the regulations can make a huge impact if strictly applied at all levels of manufacturing, distribution and consumption, said V M Radhakrishnan, the state president of theKerala Hotel Industrialists Association.

Meanwhile, M Damodharan, the state convener of the Alcohol Consumer Protection Forum, welcomed the notification, saying that liquor is finally being considered an edible drink in its complete sense. "Now they have to equip the food safety department with adequate staff and testing facilities for a strict implementation," he said.

"About 90 percent of the liquor being sold as IMFL (Indian made foreign liquor) through the outlets of state beverages corporation are not what they are supposed to be. Manufactured using spirit which even do not have the quality of formalin, these bottled liquors violate all norms with regard to ingredients and prescribed time for preservation and production," Damodharan pointed out.

The sampling and testing done by the Excise department, according to him, so far has not been able to prevent the sale of such adulterated liquor. "The samples which are collected from the private distilleries (who form the major chunk of suppliers) may be of good quality. But the quality of liquor that reaches the distribution outlets are not examined, which are said to contain even dangerous narcotic or psychotropic substances," he added.

Besides the sampling of each batch of liquor bottles at each distillery, the excise department also conducts random sampling at bars and toddy shops which are also sent to the state-owned chemical examiners laboratories. The state food safety department also conduct sample tests in analytical labs, but mainly that of toddy.

"However, it's a known fact that a major volume of toddy being served are illicit arrack or drink containing chemical substances. Stricter rules and regulations will definitely put an end to this, besides the sale of substandard liquor through outlets and bars," Radhakrishnan said.

The new regulations, according to him, will also help prevent beer manufacturers using substances like glycerine above permitted limits (a usual method to increase the shelf life), and thus prevent serious side effects in consumers. 'However, here we have the state government's monopoly of liquor sale and distribution, and nothing can happen without their knowledge," he said.

The draft regulations proposed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India(FSSAI), is the first of its kind in the country, and is expected to be finalised in a month's time. "If implemented strictly, thousands of families can be saved, as we find nowadays youth consuming low-quality liquor turning addicts in a short period. These regulations can do justice to responsible drinkers," Damodharan added.

House in shambles

Europe was outraged at the condition of slaughterhouses in the 19th century. India still isn’t .

This is a continuation of the last column ‘Who has the licence to kill’ (IE, September 1). An abattoir is no different from a slaughterhouse, except the use of French suggests it is more modern. “Everything is in shambles.” We have often used the word “shambles” in such contexts, to connote confusion. Before the usage changed, the word meant slaughterhouse and our slaughterhouses are indeed in shambles.

“Any urban authority may, if they think fit, provide slaughterhouses, and they shall make byelaws with respect to the management and charges for any slaughterhouses so provided. The owner or occupier of any slaughterhouse licensed or registered under this Act shall, within one month after the licensing or registration of the premises, affix, and shall keep undefaced and legible on some conspicuous place on the premises, a notice with the words ‘licensed slaughterhouse,’ or ‘registered slaughterhouse,’ as the case may be.” This is obviously from a statute. When this was said is more important than what it says. This is from the UK’s Public Health Act of 1875. The UK still has the Public Health Act. What I have just quoted is from the 1875 legislation, not the present one. The original sections (Sections 166 to 170) on slaughterhouses were repealed in 1938. They were no longer necessary because of stringent laws on food standards. For instance, if all abattoirs in India are licensed/registered under FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), you don’t need municipal governments to licence/register them.

The Public Health Act of 1875 wasn’t just about slaughterhouses. It dealt with public health and urban living conditions, sanitation, drainage, sewage treatment, water supply, housing and food. On slaughterhouses, the legislation only allowed for the construction of public slaughterhouses and licensing/registration of private ones (powers to close down unsatisfactory private slaughterhouses came later, in 1890). At the time, there were more than 1,400 private slaughterhouses in London alone. If one reads the newspapers and magazines from the period, debates about the rights of unorganised sector butchers (in private slaughterhouses), or their possible loss of employment, featured prominently. So did complaints about the lack of enforcement of extant legislation. Across the channel, if you go to Paris, you will probably visit the park known as Parc de la Villette. What you may not know is that this park resulted from an urban development project in the1980s. Before that, there used to be abattoirs there, and these were relocated in 1974. However, these earlier slaughterhouses were consciously constructed in 1867, to get away from disorganised, unhygienic and chaotic slaughterhouses to organised and centralised abattoirs.

Across the Atlantic, the changes came a little later and Upton Sinclair had a little bit to do with it. His 1906 novel, The Jungle, was supposed to be about harsh lives faced by immigrants. But most people focused on food safety and his descriptions of the meat-packing industry. There was an enquiry that led to the 1906 Meat Inspection Act and Drug Act, ancestors of the present Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In urban habitations, whether in Western Europe or North America, there was a movement from individual butchers slaughtering by hand in slaughterhouses to centralised municipal abattoirs and processing in factories. The subsequent transition of moving them out from urban areas entirely occurred much later. How many years does India lag advanced countries, in terms of number of years, measured by any yardstick of governance and development? That’s an impossible question to answer since it is a function of the indicator. India’s per capita income, using official exchange rates (not PPP), is around $1,600. Even if I leave out Monaco, Liechtenstein and Bermuda, Norway is at $94,000 and the US at $55,000. Angus Maddison’s work and PPP give us a better benchmark.

In constant 1990 dollars, India was at 2,160 in 2003 and USA was at 2,445 in 1870. That’s a gap of more than 130 years.

The legislation, and their consequent enforcement do not occur in a vacuum. They are often driven by what society wants. More than 130 years down the line, I still do not see the public outrage unorganised and unhygienic slaughterhouses led to in Europe in the 1850s, 1860s and 1870s. Not too many people know, a scheme to modernise abattoirs was launched in 2009, with financial assistance from the Union government. But this was demand driven. Local bodies, or private parties, would have to opt for it and there were few takers. In Delhi, take the Ghazipur abattoir and closing down/shifting of the Idgah slaughterhouse there. The relatively modern Ghazipur abattoir has also confronted controversies on other grounds. The Idgah one has been described as 200-years-old. It wouldn’t have closed down and moved to Ghazipur had it not been for a PIL filed by Maneka Gandhi in the Delhi high court in 1992, the case meandering through the court system until 2005. In the process, apart from closing Idgah, the new one in Ghazipur came up. In every argument and agitation, the loss of livelihood and employment came up, reminiscent of the mid-19th century in other countries. Finally, Idgah was closed down in 2009. But this is a quote from a Delhi high court’s 2015 judgement. “A perusal of the affidavits placed on record by the respondents (North Delhi Municipal Corporation and Delhi Police) shows that they have admitted that despite there being a complete ban on slaughtering in Kasab Pura, Idgah Road, Delhi, slaughtering is going on in the area.”

The writer is a member of Niti Aayog. Views expressed are personal

FSSAI sets the bar for spirits

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has for the first time drawn up standards for an entire range of alcoholic beverages such as whisky, brandy, beer, gin, rum, vodka, and the like, including arrack and country spirit and various kinds of wines, with specifications for the alcohol content in each and the additives which may be used in each.

The draft regulations have been put up on the website of the FSSAI and the public has been invited to write in with any objections or suggestions, with scientific evidence in support of the same, within a period of 30 days, ie, by October 4, so that these may be taken up by the FSSAI.

The proposed regulations are in line with the standards drawn up by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), an intergovermental organisation which defines international standards and regulatory practices for the wine industry and whose recommendations are approved by member countries, including India

The draft regulations clearly define what each alcoholic beverage is and specifies the amount of ethyl alcohol that each beverage should contain, the additives which may be used, and the production methods which should be adopted for each beverage.

For example, the beverage tequila, “shall be aged in oak barrels”.

The FSSAI has also specified the labelling requirements for each alcoholic beverage. The labelling information should specify the alcohol by volume (abv) and the number of standard drinks each bottle/package has. It has defined each standard drink as 10gm or 12.7ml of ethyl alcohol measured at 20 degree C.

Thus, a 750 ml bottle of 36 per cent abv spirit should be labelled as “contains 22 standard drinks”.

The draft regulations say that no alcoholic beverage should contain nutritional information on the label and that an alcoholic beverage which contains more than 8.0 per cent abv shall not be represented as a “low alcohol beverage”.

The labelling requirements for wines require manufacturers to mention the origin of the wine, generic name of the grape used, and geographic origin and vintage dates.

Joint Commissioner of Food Safety K. Anilkumar said this was the first time that such a comprehensive set of standards, including specifications for labelling declarations, ingredients and even the quality of water to be used were being brought out for alcoholic beverages.

Hygiene check: 5 eateries raided

INDORE: In order to keep a check on adulteration and hygiene, the district food and drug department carried out raids at five food outlets that college students frequently visit. In the second phase of Operation Vishuddha, a food safety drive, the district administration chose dhabas, small pocket-friendly restaurants and tiffin centres as their focal points of inspection.

"Since the new academic session recently began in colleges, we want to ensure that students, especially the ones from outstation, get healthy food while they are away from home," said Manish Swami, district food official. The five food centres where raids were carried out are located on Bhawarkuan and Khandwa Road areas where several educational institutes, including Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalya (DAVV), are located.

"We collected samples of oil from Shubh Tiffin Center, Kashish Dhaba and Gayatri Kirana to check the quality of oil being used to cook the food. We also collected cold drink samples from New Kanchan Restaurant and Sawariyan Restaurant to check if the owners of these places weren't using duplicates of popular soft drink brands," said Kirti Rawat, District Food Officer.

She added that the samples will be sent to the laboratory and suitable action will be taken against the owners once test results are out in a fortnight. The district food and drug department also found that these restaurants and food centres were not adhering to guidelines issued by them regarding maintenance and hygiene.

"We have issued notices to them and will keep a tab on whether they comply with all the guidelines in the future or not," said Rawat.

Officials also raided other small food outlets and spelt out guidelines issued by the department to the owners, cooks, waiters and cleaning staff so that they could maintain hygiene at the eateries they were working at within their respective spheres of work. "A number of waiters did not know that they had to submit a medical health certificate to the district administration for the dhaba to run smoothly," said Rawat.

Are food labels helping or wrecking your diet?

Don’t look just for food label instructions such as sugar-free, low calorie etc but also for the nutritive value in them. 

Choosing a healthy snack at a supermarket or grocery store has become as tough as voting in a dependable political candidate. In India, food labels appear to be designed to mislead consumers by providing information in ways that confuse rather than help shoppers choose healthier products, eat smaller portions and get more active.

Most people think they are on the right track as long as they choose foods that are sugar free, low cal, low fat, low cholesterol, low starch, skimmed, toned, double-toned, baked not fried etc and end up choosing foods with no nutritive value or foods low in one unhealthy ingredient but high in others.

Supermarket shelves are packed with examples of misleading claims. Sugar and wholewheat flour are mixed with artificial additives to make ‘high-fibre’ cookies, juice labelled ‘with no added sugar’ may have other equally harmful sweeteners such as fructose, dextrose, dextrine and high fructose corn syrup, ‘healthy’ fruit yoghurts are loaded with sugar and preservatives, and oils labelled ‘cholesterol-free’ and ‘heart-friendly’ may have other fats that block up arteries just as efficiently as cholesterol.

In India, most packed foods have a nutrition label on the back or side of the packaging that includes information on energy in kilocalories (kcal) -- popularly referred to as calories -- fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt, carbohydrates, protein and essential vitamins and minerals in either 100 grams and sometimes per portion of the food. It’s vital for consumers to take a close look at the portion size, as foods high in calories may be listed.

With people spending six seconds looking at a food package before deciding what to buy, the best labels are those that provide basic information at a glance. Symbols work better than numerical information, with activity-equivalent calorie labels being the most easily understood by all, particularly by lower socioeconomic groups who often lack nutritional knowledge and health literacy, reported a study in Nutrition Reviews. The study recommends nutrition labels use text and symbolic colour to indicate nutrient levels rather than nutrient-specific labels with numeric information, as done in India.

Simple colour coding to share nutrition information is increasingly getting popular. 

Simple colour coding to share nutrition information is increasingly getting popular. Studies have shown that ‘traffic light labels’ used in the Australia, New Zealand, UK and Sri Lanka have helped change eating and drinking behaviour. These labels are designed to give independent scientific dietary advice to help people make healthier food choices quickly and easily. Green, amber or red coloured labels in the front of the pack show at a glance if the food shoppers are thinking about buying has low, medium or high amounts of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt. Red indicates that the food is high in fat, sugars or salt and should be eaten occasionally or in small amounts. Amber indicates it’s an okay choice and green certifies it as a healthier choice.

If a food package has all three colours – different for saturated fat, fats, sugar and salt – people are advised to pick products with more greens and ambers and fewer reds. If two products have similar colours, comparing the amount of fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt in a portion and choosing the one which has lower values helps you make a balanced choice.

People can use colour-coding to judge how healthy is the amount of fat, sugar and salt listed in the nutrition label of whatever they are eating or drinking. On display is a UK shopping card.

Chuffed with the success of traffic light labelling in the UK, the Royal Society for Public Health has called for introducing ’activity equivalent’ calorie labelling, with symbols showing how many minutes of several different physical activities is needed to expend the calories in the product. For example, the calories in a can of fizzy drink would take a person of average age and weight about 26 minutes to walk off. Given its simplicity, activity equivalent calorie labelling offers a recognisable reference that is understood by everyone, write researchers in the BMJ.

The aim is to make people more mindful of the calories they end up eating and how these calories relate to activities in their everyday lives. The message, say researchers, is more positive because instead of asking people to cut down on specific foods or drink, activity labelling encourages people to do something to counter their dietary choices.

You can’t out-run a bad diet, just as you can’t build lean muscle on empty calories that lack the foundation of a healthy diet – high on vegetables, fruit, nuts, beans, fish, wholegrain and legumes and low in sugar, saturated fats, dairy, starch and meats. Each one of us needs to create a balanced relationship between the calories consumed and the calories expended to stay healthy.

Time for the Government to look at the waistline

A lot has been talked about and debated around the topic of processed food and unhealthy eating habits at an early age. Britainsaid it would tax companies which sell sugary soft drinksand invest that money in healthprograms for school children saying nearly a third of those aged 2 to 15 are already overweight or obese. Other countries such as France, Hungary, Belgium and Mexico will also impose some form of tax on drinks that have excess sugar. Similarly in India, Kerala government is planning to tax junk food at 14.5%. The ‘fat tax’ will be levied on burgers, pizzas and processed foods (ie. taxing the food groups that make one fat or increase their risk of developing diabetes) served in organized international fast-food outlets such as McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut and Domino’s. Aim is to try to cut fast-rising obesity & diabetes rates in the state. Presently, 28.1% women and 17.8% men in Kerela are either overweight or obese, putting it close to India’s second most obese state, Punjab.

In my opinion, the Government of India should take measures to identify the problem from the root. Obesity is a challenge not only in countries like US and China, but also in India- known to be the third largest in the world. One recent studysuggests that the medical cost of obesity was nearly $150 billion in 2008 which seems to have doubled last year.

Campaigns on smoking and alcoholism is common, then why doesn’t the Government investigate & study obesity and diabetes which is an immediate need? Government actions won’t directly alter someone's decisions about eating and exercise. Education efforts have not worked, and we can't regulate or litigate any citizen's access to total calories or exercise choices. Instead, the Government should look at educating consumers in general about obesity and diabetes especially children and adolescents. They should encourage outdoor sports, physical activities and adopt a regular fitness regime rather than engaging in unhealthy lifestyle habits. This will do wonders in improving health and well-being of our citizens.

Encourage schools to front this initiative in the age brackets (3-8) and combine an increased physical education/activity emphasis linked with dietary education as well.

The government should avoid subsidizing food products that form the basis for unhealthy food options. There has been a discussion on the new Govt directives on dangers of Trans Fats & hydrogenated oilsand phasing out of artificial trans-fats (5-12x higher TF’s in Indian foods than global standard), however there has been no discussion on dangers of hydrogenated oils. Regulation on FMCG, F&B food ads hasn’t yet been applied.

Positive incentive, voluntary programs or responsibility given to public schools can be ensured to promote healthy choices in physical activities and diet plans. Allocating more funds to community level parks that can open up spaces for physical activity for citizens should be looked into. Change in our current tax and agricultural system to stop subsidies for many sugar products can perhaps help reduce consumption of junk foods.

Obesity in part is a matter of personal responsibility, however, as a nation, we need to start paying more attention to the impact of the social determinants of health to our society.

A lot of flies & mosquitoes make their way into our homes during the monsoons, especially around stagnated water. They may settle on food and make it unfit for consumption. One must keep an eye out for these insects & keep food protected from unwanted germs & diseases

Eid Mubarak to everyone!