Eateries in Kothamangalam under health department scanner

KOCHI: The state health department has directed district officials to check the quality of food served in hotels and cool bars in Kothamangalam and Nellikuzhi areas, where a severe outbreak of jaundice and hepatitis-A have been reported.
The move follows the death of three people. Health officials suspect that people contracted disease after eating from a hotel in Nellikuzhi.
Officials said though the disease is under control, more than 280 people have been infected in Nellikuzhi panchayat alone.
The total number infected, taking into account adjoining areas, would come to around 360. "Our surveillance teams are in the area as the number of infected persons is high. The chances of hepatitis-A spreading is high," said Dr N K Kuttappan, district medical officer, Ernakulam
A nine-member team of specialists led by Dr G Arunkumar from the Manipal Institute of Virology has reached the area to study the outbreak. "The team will investigate whether this is a new strain of virus. The severity of the disease and the reasons behind the quick outbreak has to be studied. The team will submit their preliminary report in a couple of weeks," DMO said.
During a review meeting held at Kothamangalam on Friday, the director of health services Dr R Ramesh directed the food and safety department to ensure preventive measures for controlling the jaundice in Nellikuzhi and neighbouring areas.
Awareness classes and surveys are being conducted in the area.
A team of five doctors conducted a special medical camp in Cheruvattoor primary health centre. Blood samples of 253 people, who took part in the camp, have been sent for testing. The blood samples are being sent to the mobile lab set up by the social security mission and to the temporary lab set up in the health centre. The mobile lab was set up on the request of the district collector
Dr Ramesh, directed the health department officials to open 24-hour diagnostic labs in Kothamangalam and Muvattupuzha hospitals. A 24-hour control cell has been opened in Kothamangalam taluk hospital. Control room number is 0485-2822603.
"Measures have been taken to clean the water bodies in the municipality," said Manju Siju, Kothamangalam municipality chairperson.
She said that ASHA workers have been deployed to visit households to give awareness to people. Chlorination, rainage cleaning and waste management have been undertaken by the panchayat following the spread of disease.

Huge consignment of Fruit juice imported from Bangladesh seized

The Food Safety Unit of A and N Islands has seized huge quantity of fruit juice bottles like Litchi Juices, Mango Juices from the Godown of Baba Lokenath Company, which were allegedly imported from Bangladesh via Kolkata without any License, clearance acquired from the food safety unit of Port Blair. Andaman's Food Safety unit has today confirmed that all bottles has 'Made in Bangladesh' mark printed on it. "The brother in law of the owner of the Baba Lokenath Company has been questioned in this case, as the owner is out of town for some treatment," senior officer of Andaman's Food Safety unit told UNI on the condition of anonymity. According to reports, Baba Lokenath Company has obtained a license of manufacturing Sev but the company somehow indulged in this business of importing soft drinks in Andaman via Kolkata. The Food Safety Unit has seized the stock of Bangladeshi manufactured Cold Drinks of around Rs 1,40,000. As per details concerned agencies are now recommending for cancellation of license of the private firm in this case.

CSE Recommends Ban on Celebs Endorsing Sugary Foods

The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has recommended a complete ban on celebrities endorsing foods high in salt, sugar or fat. Delivering her opening address at the briefing, Sunita Narain, Director General, CSE, said, "The government is considering amending the Consumer Protection Act to provide for five-year jail term or a penalty of Rs 50 lakh to hold celebrities responsible for false and misleading claims.
"But the same amendment says that there will be no liability if precautions are taken and due diligence is done before deciding to endorse a product. In other words, this amendment amounts to nothing."
The expert committee on Consumer Protection Bill, 2015 has recommended a penalty of Rs 10 lakh and imprisonment of up to two years or both for a first offense by a celebrity responsible for false and misleading claims. The penalty is Rs 50 lakh and five-year imprisonment for a second offence.
"But there are two problems with this proposal – one, manufacturers have not been held equally guilty and two, celebrities may not understand the science behind the claims and conduct due diligence," said Amit Khurana, Programme Manager, Food Safety and Toxins team, CSE.
Some of the suggestions made by CSE are strengthening nutrition facts labeling system, ascertaining nutrients, approving food advertisements, banning celebrities from endorsing foods high in salt, sugar or fat and instituting and enforcing stringent legal and financial penalties for misleading claims.

The speakers at the workshop included Sanjay Khajuria, Head of Corporate Affairs, Nestle India; Ishi Khosla, Nutritionist and Founder, The Weight Monitor; Shriram Khanna, Managing Editor, Consumer Voice; Rajesh Sagar, Professor and Head, Deparment of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences; Santosh Desai, MD and CEO, Future Brands; Pawan Aggarwal, CEO, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India; and Hem Pande, Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs.

Take 5: Prasadam is made with faith in God. It can’t be called food, says TTD Health Officer

The FSSAI has held that since laddoo is food as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, the TTD must obtain a food safety licence for the laddoo

Dr S Sharmistha, Health Officer, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD)
After a complaint that the famed Tirupati laddoos were being made in an unhygienic manner, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has held that since laddoo is food as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, the TTD must obtain a food safety licence for the laddoo. Dr S Sharmistha, Health Officer, Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) responds:
1. How many laddoos does the TTD make in a day?
The TTD prepares two lakh laddoos on weekdays and up to 3 lakh on weekends, holidays and festivals. The laddoos are prepared by members of a particular Brahmin sect who have been doing this work for centuries, at a kitchen in the temple of Lord Venkateshwara.
2. How do you ensure hygiene standards?
The TTD uses 41 items to prepare the laddoos and other prasadam. From jeera to ghee to flour, to dry fruits, all are inspected for quality, hygiene and freshness. We have a state-of-the-art food testing laboratory. No other temple in the country has such facilities. We also regularly conduct health checks on the laddoo makers. Traditionally, they shave off their hair and wear a single clean cloth while in the kitchen. The prepared laddoos are taken to distribution spots under security escort.
We regularly take inputs from the National Institute of Nutrition in Hyderabad. We also consult experts at the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Hyderabad on hygiene and safety, and follow guidelines of the Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore. Besides, the entire process is captured on CCTV.
3. So can Tirupati laddoo be labelled food, as has been contended?
No, it is prasadam, an offering to God. The first laddoo of each batch is offered to the Lord, which is then mixed with the rest of the preparation and distributed to the pilgrims. It is a very sacred process, and the prasadam is made with devotion and faith in God and cannot be called food. The faith of pilgrims should also be respected and it should be referred to only as prasadam.
4. Should food inspectors be allowed access to the kitchen?
The TTD Board has set up a sub-committee to look into the FSSAI demand to certify the laddoos. It will give its report on December 20. Traditionally, the TTD has never allowed any outsider to set foot in the kitchen except the TTD’s own health officers. No one has ever taken ill after consuming the temple’s prasadam.
5. What about allegations of insects etc found in laddoos?
These are false allegations. Because of some grudge or rivalry, some miscreants introduced external objects into the prasadam in a few instances.

Packaged food labels may carry soon details of salt, sugar content

Presently, information on them need not be disclosed unless it is part of advertisement pitch

Food and beverage companies may have to compulsorily disclose additional information on the sugar, salt and sodium content of their packaged products, as part of a proposed revision of food labelling laws, said a top official of India’s apex food regulator.

Currently, packaged food companies — including those who make instant noodles, biscuits, snacks and breakfast cereal — need specify only the energy, protein, carbohydrate and fat content on their covers.

Information on other constituents such as sodium, salt, vitamins need not be disclosed unless companies claim it as part of their advertising pitch. For instance, details on fibre content in biscuits or the percentage of trans unsaturated fatty acids (trans fats) need not be specified unless a company promotes them as “high fibre” or “zero trans-fat.” This gives companies leeway to not disclose if, say, their high-fibre biscuits are also high on sugar or sodium. The World Health Organisation recommends that an adult should not have more than 25 gm of sugar per day while the American Heart Association says that an adult should not consume more than 2.3 gm of sodium. While both of these are critical to the healthy functioning of the body, they can, in large amounts aggravate diabetes and hypertension.

In several countries, companies are required to specify the proportion of the daily recommended sodium, salt and fats that will be consumed in a packet or serving of processed food. A forthcoming update to India’s food regulations will consider incorporating this.

“We have set up various panels on scientific assessment and labelling to consider these issues and may incorporate this in our revised labelling norms,” Pawan Agarwal, CEO, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, told The Hindu, “However this is quite a challenge and requires much consultation.”

Draft likely in a month

A draft of these notifications is expected in a month but after that would require clearance by the Health Ministry for it to become a norm, according to Mr. Agrawal.

On Friday, the Centre for Science and Environment made public a report Food Labelling, Claims And Advertisements — in the presence of Mr. Agarwal — detailing instances of under-reporting by several food and beverage companies.

“In contrast to best practices in other parts of the world, there is no mention of several other types of nutrition claims,” Amit Khurana, programme manager, Food Safety and Toxins team, CSE, said in a statement.

“There is a clear trend of focussing on a single attribute of a product while making claims…a look at the content of a few popular packaged food claims suggests that these could be unhealthy due to nutrients other than those claimed.”

As an example, the report mentions how a Coca-Cola can in the United Kingdom and Mexico specifies — along with the energy content — what percentage of the daily recommended fat, saturates, sugars and salt are met if a single can is consumed. In India, no other information is available other than the carbohydrate, protein, sugar and energy content (in grams).

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No check on food safety in JK

SRINAGAR, Dec 15: The constitution of a high powered steering committee for effective and smooth implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) is confined to papers only. The state government constituted a high powered steering committee for effective and smooth implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). 

The J&K government had come under sharp criticism for doing little to ensure implementation of Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006. The government had appointed the Chief Secretary of the state as chairman of the steering committee.

Besides chairman, Administrative Secretary Health and Medical Education, Administrative Secretary Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Administrative Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department, Administrative Secretary Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Administrative Secretary Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Controller Drug and Food Control Organization and Deputy Commissioner of Food Safety Kashmir/Jammu were appointed its members. The committee according to sources was formed in backdrop of complaints of food adulteration and authorities had failed to curb on it. 

Despite constituting the committee, there seems no change on the ground. "The members of the committee don't bother to check the working of concerned Deptt,"an official said. The committee has to take a complete review of the ground realities, officers performing the duties under the Act, method of sampling, testing and further follow up action on the basis of misbranded samples. "But nothing such is being done," the official said. 

The Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 came into force across the country in August 2011. 

The Act was also to ensure improved quality of food for the consumers and censure misleading claims and advertisement by those in food business. 

Official sources said the government had failed to upgrade the required infrastructure that was obligatory under this Act. They said the Act was not being executed properly in the state by which adulterated food items were being openly sold in markets without any check from the government. 

The Central government had also asked the state government many times to ensure proper implementation of the Act. 

Earlier, the High Court had pulled up the state government for lack of proper mechanism in J&K to check the food adulteration and had stated that authorities concerned have given complete go-bye to the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

Non-iodised salt seized

The Food and Drugs Administration on December 7, raided a warehouse located at Mazgaon in South Mumbai and seized 10.5 ton non-iodised salt, since it was being marketed without adhering to norms stipulated under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.

Acting on the tip off, the warehouse of M/s Ravji Salt Supplier located at Shivdas Chapsi Road, Mumbai 40009 was raided (December 7) and the salt being sold without iodisation was seized by FDA officials. The four samples have been drawn and sent to laboratory for test, Harish Baijal, Joint Commissioner (Vigilance) said, adding that the common salt should contain 30 Parts Per Million (PPM) at production stage and 10 PPM at consumption stage, as per the FSS Act 2006.

Did you know

The Iodised salt is table salt mixed with a minute amount of various salts of the element iodine. The ingestion of iodine prevents iodine deficiency. Worldwide, iodine deficiency affects about two billion people and is the leading preventable cause of intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The lack of iodine retards growth of children, leads to ailment like squint eye, abortion etc. Iodine is a micronutrient and dietary mineral that is naturally present in the food supply in some regions, especially near sea coasts, but is generally quite rare in the Earth's crust, since iodine is a 'heavy' element and abundance of chemical elements generally declines with greater atomic mass. Where natural levels of iodine in the soil are low and the iodine is not taken up by vegetables, iodine added to salt provides the small but essential amount of iodine needed by human.

Hotels buy meat from butchers

No food in newspaper

FSSAI to revise food labelling norms

Highlighting the steps taken to tackle malnutrition in India, Agarwal said the regulator has come out with fortification standards and many firms have shown interest.

NEW DELHI: Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) is revising food labelling norms and examining global models, its CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said. 

"Our labelling provisions are currently under revision. We are looking at Codex norms. We are going beyond that to see our labelling norms are robust," Agarwal said. 

He was speaking at the launch of 'India Spotlight Index 2016' published by the Netherlands-based NGO The Access to Nutrition Foundation (ATNF). 

FSSAI will also look at best global practices as far as regulations are concerns, he added. 

Highlighting the steps taken to tackle malnutrition in India, Agarwal said the regulator has come out with fortification standards and many firms have shown interest. 

"The government is committed to address issues related to malnutrition head on. Fortification is one amongst the initiatives being taken to address malnutrition," he said. 

While fortification has been made mandatory in some areas, in many areas, particularly in packaged food, it is not feasible, he noted. 

Talking about the index, the FSSAI chief said, "Those areas where it cannot be made mandatory and where you cannot directly intervene to ensure more nutritious food, this kind of index can be critical." 

The findings of the index, which has assessed 14 companies, is "fairly known and do not throw out any major surprises. But this at least focused attention on desirable expectation from food businesses," he said. 

"We will use this report to nudge the rest of the food businesses. In the area of nutrition, the role of the government is primarily to nudge citizens to adopt good nutrition practices. At the same time, the food businesses should manufacture and supply nutrition-rich food in the market. Otherwise, citizens will not have choices," he added. 

The key finding of the index, ATNF Executive Director Inge Kauer said, is that the "largest food and beverages manufacturers in India are falling far short of what they need to do in help fight the enduring and mounting double burden of malnutrition." 

The 10 companies assessed in the index are Amul, Britannia Industries, Coca-Cola India, Mondelez India, Mother Dairy, Nestle India, Parle Products, PepsiCo India, Ruchi Soya and Hindustan Unilever. Four more firms -- Adani, Cargill, ITC Ltd and Nandini -- were also interviewed. 

The index has assessed the nutritional quality of their products and their nutrition related policies. 

On product profiling, the FSSAI chief said that "a company may have good corporate profile but if its product file is not having high nutritional values, it is not really helpful." 

Most food and beverage products across the globe do not have high nutrition value and this kind of index will help nudge such companies, he said, and asked ATNF to assess more companies in the next 2018 report to get a better picture.

Keventer bananas ‘safe’

KOLKATA: Most of the bananas , available in the local markets, are ripened either with Calcium Carbide or Ethephon , which are very harmful for health, even may lead to cancer as both the chemicals are carcinogenic. Identification of safe bananas from the market has become very difficult for the common people.

To solve this problem, the largest organised business company in the fruit frozen food markets, Keventer has taken initiative for supplying bananas ripened with 'Ethylene', which is approved by Food Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI), a recognised body of the government, as the best method for ripening bananas which causes no harm to health . Needless to mention, safety in all its food products is the core value proposition of Keventer.

Banana is very helpful for health. According to medical practitioners, banana should be taken by the people every day, as it has Vitamin 'C' and potassium. .Doctors explained that banana contains vitamin C, which helps grow immunization and protect from incurable inflammatory bowel disease respectively. This has been jointly discovered by Indio-American medical scientists. It is a myth that the children cannot be given banana during their cough & cold, Doctors added.

Keventer, one of the largest organized player in bananas, sell about 3.5 lakh pieces daily i.e. about 50 metric tonnes bananas every day all over Bengal from its two centres, located in Barasat, near Kolkata and Siliguri.

Their ripening centre at Barasat was constructed with an expenditure of about Rs.50 crores and the Siliguri Centre was built with Rs 104 crores. From Barasat centre, they supply bananas mainly to Kolkata, Midnapore, Durgapur and other markets. Siliguri, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Gangtak and other markets are served from their Siliguri Centre.

Keventer is the market- leader by a wide margin , i.e. at least 3 (three) times even from their nearest competitor. They procure about 20,000 tonnes of bananas annually from Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad and Hooghly districts, about 50,000 farmers are directly benefitted with their business. It may be mentioned here that due to association with Keventer , the realisation of bananas from the farmers has gone up by at least 30-40% during the last 5 years.

To help the customers, so that they can easily identify the safe bananas in the market, Keventer brands its bananas with the Stickers and also has a mascot, named "Keven". Their stickers are range from the functional (highlighting the carbide -free aspect) to the fun (with different appearances of mascots at the time of Pujas, Sports etc.).

‘Food, beverage firms need to improve nutritional quality of products in India’

Kamal NarangPawan Kumar Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, and Inge Kauer, CEO, Access to Nutrition Foundation, at the launch of the Access To Nutrition-India Spotlight Index, in New Delhi on Wednesday

Access to Nutrition Foundation unveils index to nudge companies to provide healthy products

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 14: 

Food and beverage manufacturers in India need to put in a lot of effort to improve the nutritional quality of their products to combat malnutrition in India, according to Access to Nutrition Foundation, which launched India Access to Nutrition Spotlight Index here on Wednesday, based on an product analysis of the 10 key players in the sector in India.

As per a report by the Netherlands-based non-profit organisation: “Only 12 per cent of the beverages and 16 per cent of the foods sold by these companies were estimated to be of high nutritional quality in the product profile analysis.”

Based on the total sales in 2014, the 10 food and beverage manufacturers selected for assessment for the index included Amul (GCMMF), Britannia Industries, Coca-Cola India, Mondelez India, Mother Dairy, Nestle India, Parle Products, PepsiCo India, Ruchi Soya Industries and Hindustan Unilever.

Inge Kauer, Executive Director, Access to Nutrition Foundation, said: “India faces the serious and escalating double burden of malnutrition, with a large undernourished population as well as growing numbers of overweight and obese people who are developing chronic diseases. Food and Beverage (F&B) manufacturers in India have the potential, and the responsibility, to be part of the solution to this double burden of malnutrition.”Selling healty products

The study ranked Mother Dairy, Hindustan Unilever, Amul and Britannia Industries as the top four companies that sell the largest proportion of healthy products. The product profile score assessment was based on the nutritional quality of products weighted by retail sales.

On the corporate profile score, which assesses the companies’ nutrition commitments, practices and disclosure, Nestle India, Hindustan Unilever, PepsiCo India, and Mondelez India ranked among the top four.

The report said while nine of these companies had made commitments to combat under-nutrition, most companies either did not produce or produce very few fortified packaged foods.Fortification standards

Speaking at the launch of the index, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said the government was committed to address issues related to malnutrition and the regulator had recently come out with fortification standards for staples.“Fortification can be made mandatory in some areas but in many areas making it mandatory is not feasible,” he added.

On a query regarding making companies more accountable for product labels, Agarwal said the regulator was examining Codex norms and the labelling norms were currently under revision, adding that the regulator would look at the best global practices.

Food must not be packed in newspapers

Printing inks, colours and impurities harmful to health.

Nutritionists back a warning given by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that food must not be packed in newspapers.

Hyderabad: Nutritionists back a warning given by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) that food must not be packed in newspapers. Packing in or serving food on newspaper could be hazardous to health. The FSSAI has warned that eating such food could cause slow-poisoning because of cancer causing agents and microbes in newsprint and directed Commissioners of Food Safety in all states to launch awareness drives and discourage street vendors from packing cooked foods in newspapers.

On its website, the FSSAI has said, “Wrapping food in newspapers is an unhealthy practice. Consuming such food is injurious to health even if it has been cooked in a hygienic atmosphere.” Senior nutritionist Madhu Lata said, “Newspapers have printing inks and harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives and preservatives. These can have an effect on the body. It is harmful for a person to regularly consume food supplied in newspapers. Often, mirchi bhaji, samosa, idli, vada and other snacks are delivered in newspapers. Even if they are clean and healthy in preparation, the packaging makes them harmful.”

The presence of pathogenic micro-organisms is also a cause of concern since the newspapers go through various channels before reaching the vendor and hence poses a potential risk to human health. Another nutritionist, S Usha, said, “The increasing problems of the digestive track like indigestion, ill-effects on endocrine system and deficiency of vitamin B 12 are linked to presence of chemicals in the body. What foods we have and how we take it are important.

Food firms slow in addressing nutrition crisis: study

Only around 12% of beverages and 16% of food items sold by companies that Access to Nutrition Foundation studies are of high nutritional value

The India Access to Nutrition Spotlight Index 2016, a study by Netherlands-based Access to Nutrition Foundation, noted that while some of the largest food and beverages companies in India have made strategic commitments to grow businesses with focus on health and nutrition, the industry as a whole is moving very slow in addressing nutrition challenges in India. 

New Delhi: India’s largest food and drink companies are far from the fight against obesity and malnutrition, a new report said.

The India Access to Nutrition Spotlight Index 2016, a study by Netherlands-based Access to Nutrition Foundation (ATNF) released on Wednesday, noted that while some of the largest food and beverages companies in India have made strategic commitments to grow businesses with focus on health and nutrition, the industry as a whole is moving very slow in addressing nutrition challenges in India, which is “home to the world’s largest number of stunted children”.

The study, which scores leading multinational firms on corporate strategy, availability of appropriate, affordable and accessible products, and positive influence on consumer choice and behaviour, studied top 10 food and beverages companies in India, including the multinationals.

Nestle India Ltd topped the ranking with a score of 7.1 out of 10 in overall terms, followed by Hindustan Unilever (6.7). ATNF studied 7 companies for the listing.

In terms of product profile, Mother Dairy topped the list with a score of 5.6 out of 10, followed by Hindustan Unilever (4.6) and Amul (4.4).

According to the study, only around 12% of beverages and 16% of food items sold by companies that ATNF studies are of high nutritional value. Domestic companies need to adopt and disclose their nutrition strategies and policies, while multinationals need to improve the nutritional quality of their portfolios, the ATNF study added.

“India faces the serious and escalating double burden of malnutrition, with a large undernourished population as well as growing numbers of overweight and obese people who are developing chronic diseases. Food and beverages manufacturers in India have the potential and the responsibility to be part of the solution to this double burden of malnutrition,” said Inge Kauer, executive director, ATNF.

According to the National Family Health Survey (2005-06) conducted by ministry of health & family welfare, government of India, 42.5% children under 5 years of age are underweight and 48% are stunted.

The ATNF report suggested the government should enable and encourage food and beverages companies to introduce fortified packaged products to address “specific widespread micronutrient deficiencies”, and should use more fortified staple ingredients compulsory in government programmes, such as mid-day meal schemes in schools.

The country’s food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has already proposed making fortified food mandatory for public food programmes, including public distribution scheme (PDS), mid-day meals and other schemes such as integrated child development services (ICDS) scheme and scheme for adolescent girls.

“We are in discussions with various ministries and industry and working on setting up standards and how to make large-scale food fortification a reality,” said Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI, who officially released the ATNF report on Wednesday.

Patanjali fined Rs 11 lakh for misleading ads

HIGHLIGHTS

• A Haridwar court imposed fine of Rs 11 lakh on Yoga guru Ramdev's company, Patanjali Ayurved Ltd.
• Fine was imposed on charges of misbranding and misrepresentation of its products.

HARIDWAR: A fine of Rs 11 lakh has been imposed on Yoga guru Ramdev's company, Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, by a city court on charges of misbranding and misrepresentation of its products.

In its order, the court of Lalit Narain Mishra, Haridwar's additional district magistrate, found the company, which is currently eyeing at doubling its revenues from the current Rs 5,000 crore to almost Rs 10,000 crore by the next financial year, guilty of "releasing misleading advertisements by selling certain products with its labels although they were being manufactured by some other firm."

Citing Section 52 (misbranding) and Section 53 (misleading advertisement) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 as well as Section 23.1 (5) of Food Safety and Standard (Packaging and Labelling Regulations, 2011) Act, it ordered Patanjali to pay the fine within a month. It also directed the district food safety department to "take appropriate action if there is no improvement in the products in future."

A case against the company was filed at the ADM's court in November 2012 after samples of products, including honey, salt, mustard oil, jam and besan (gram flour) picked up for sampling on August 16, 2012, allegedly failed quality tests.

The tests were conducted at Uttarakhand's only FSSAI-certified drugs and food testing lab located at Rudrapur. The case had been ongoing ever since. The order regarding the fine imposed on the company was given by the court on December 1, but became public a day ago.

Watin manufacturing bakeries to be banned, says FSOs

IMPHAL, Dec 14 : After five bakeries located at Kakwa Laiphrakpam Leikai were reportedly found violating food safety norms in manufacturing Watin, local name for gram flour Bhujia, Food Safety Officers today said that the bakeries will be banned from manufacturing any edible items.

Food Safety Officers including M DInesh, Th Nelson and P Nongallei of Imphal West district today conducted a drive at bakeries lcoated at Laiphrakpam Leikai (Pukhri Maning) wherein Sushila Bakery Kakwa Watin, Thoibi Bakery Kakwa Watin, Memchouba Bakery and Selungba Kakwa Watin were found violating the norms under Food Safety Standard Act in manufacturing various food items like Watin, Bhujia, Namkeen and Khajur.

The officers informed that the team had inspected the bakeries on October 14.

The bakery owners were also instructed to adhere to the food safety norms and obtain licences under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.

The food packets have no information like the manufacturing date and expiry date. The bakery owners have failed to pay heed to the instruction. If the same continues, the five bakeries will be banned.

The team informed that shopkeepers have been accepting such food items to earn profit. However, one must not forget that consuming food items that have no information given on the food packets can cause major health problems.

Make reading labels a habit!

Amongst the other important habits we have been sharing on #readinglabels , always spot #FSSAI Logo and #license No. on the packet before you purchase a #food item

Perform a quick check on declaration regarding #Veg or Non vegetarian ingredients. #Label must have the proper identification mark i.e., brown circle in a square for “Non-Veg” and green circle for “Veg”

Never miss reading about list of #ingredients used in the #food item as it helps in checking information around any #allergic substances

It is advised to check info related to date of manufacturing/ packaging and best before. #Label must display these components as the date inform us about the shelf-life of the food product

Indore: FDA soon to launch drive to sensitise people, shopkeepers

I

Indore: Following the advisory released by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) recently to advise people not to use newspapers for wrapping edibles, officials of the Food and Drug Administration department will soon launch a campaign to spread awareness among people about the dangers of having edibles in paper.

The department will soon launch a campaign to make people aware and will also warn shopkeepers who use newspaper for packing edibles.

In the advisory, the FSSAI stated that wrapping food products in newspapers, even if it were manufactured hygienically, is harmful for health as the newspaper ink contains various bioactive materials. Inks also contain harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives and preservatives.

Along with harmful effect of newspapers, the FSSAI also directed all the food safety officers to discourage the practice of using newspaper for packing food products.

Senior Food Safety Officer Manish Swami said, “We use to check the usage of papers at all the shops during inspection and direct them not to use newspapers for wrapping food items. We will soon launch an awareness campaign to say ‘no’ to newspapers for wrapping food products.”

“Older people, teenagers, children and people with compromised vital organs and immune systems are at a greater risk of acquiring cancer-related health complications, if they are exposed to food packed in such material,” the advisory suggested.

Meanwhile, senior physician Dr Mahendra Jha said, “Consumption of food products wrapped in newspapers is dangerous for health and it may lead to cancer as well.

Newspaper ink is potentially carcinogenic and its usage in wrapping food products is like taking slow poison.”

Highest consumption of poha in Indore, 90% supplied on newspapers

Swami said, “Indoreans consume poha daily and most of the shopkeepers use newspapers to serve poha. The FSSAI has not banned usage yet but we have directed the shopkeepers to use good quality paper for the purpose.”

He said that many shopkeepers use quality paper and increase in awareness will help them to use quality paper for serving edible.

Public Reaction

“It is a good move by FSSAI to spread awareness about the bad practices which are harmful for health. We should also start informing people about the hazards of using newspaper for wrapping food products.”- Mukesh Chopadkar, Professional

“We are taking slow poison through taking food products in newspapers. It is harmful for our health and the practice must be stopped.”- Yashvardhan Ojha, Businessman

“It is good move by FSSAI but they must also inform people about other options for the same purpose so that small vendors would not be hit after banning usage of newspapers.”- Deepak Kunjeer, Professional

“People should take initiative by themselves for not using newspapers. It is not only at eateries but we also wrap food products in newspapers at our houses.”- Diksha Shukla, Interior Designer

“Usage of newspaper should be banned immediately as people understand the language of ban only. Action on shops will spread awareness than requesting people not to use it.”- Rahul Saini, Professional

AG questions Horticorp’s claim of safe vegetables

Pesticide level of vegetables may be higer than permissible limit

‘Safe-to-eat vegetables’ sold by the Kerala State Horticultural Development Corporation (Horticorp) may not be as safe as the company’s promotional flyer claims.

The Accountants General, Kerala, has told the government that the pesticide level of vegetables sold through Horticorp outlets labelled thus may be much above the legally permissible limit.

In September this year, the AG’s auditors had partnered with food safety inspectors to randomly gauge the pesticide residue in common place vegetables such as cucumber and green chilli sold through Horticorp outlets. The results sent by the AG to the Agriculture Department recently showed a shockingly high content of toxic chemicals (acephate, profenophos and thiamethoxam) that are incrementally detrimental to public health when consumed over a sustained period.

The auditors found that the vegetables were procured from middlemen and not from farmers as the company claimed. They termed the sale of farm produce of questionable quality through the statutory corporation’s outlets as “an attempt to deceive the public”. The AG also found that the Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) adopted in principle by the government to prevent the indiscriminate use of chemicals and fertilizers were “yet to be implemented”.

Importantly, the AG found lapses in the settlement of vegetable purchase bills. “The purchases were made from one person and payment made to another,” the auditors told the government. Competent authorities rarely authorised payment vouchers. Stock registers and purchases details were not properly maintained. The possibility of accounting procurement based on bogus bills could not be ruled out.

In at least one case, Horticorp had recorded the names of the supplier and the amount paid to them. But its managers did not mention the quantity procured or the name of vegetables bought.

Horticorp draws huge subsidies from the government annually to ostensibly stabilise vegetable prices during festival seasons. Some such dubious transactions are already under Vigilance scrutiny.

Principal Secretary, Agriculture, Raju Narayanaswamy told The Hindu that the government was aware that vegetables cultivated using pesticides were often mislabelled and sold as organic produce at high rates. The government will ban pesticide companies from demonstrating their products in farms, he said.

He said Horticrop would soon retail only farm produce sourced from government-backed 14 agro parks to come up in Kerala soon. For instance, the proposed one in Thrissur would farm organic honey, Kozhikode and Ernakulam pesticide-free coconuts and paddy. Farms in Idukki and Palakkad would focus on organic cultivation of vegetables.

The company’s stalls would display GAP-approved vegetables and those sourced from the open market separately.

Tirupati laddu also needs safety licence, says food safety authority

The RTI applicant had alleged that the laddus are made in an unhygienic manner. 

RTI application by Bengalurean turns spotlight on the famed ‘prasadam’

The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) now has to obtain a food safety licence like any other Food Business Operator (FBO) for the famed Tirupati laddu.

In a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Food Safety, Andhra Pradesh, the director of Food Safety Management System (FSMS), Suneeti Toteja, stated that the ‘laddu’ is food as per definition of food under the Food Safety Standards Act of India, 2006. Also, TTD is an FBO and has to adhere to provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

“The applicability of the Act is not affected whether the food is purchased or distributed free of cost. TTD therefore has to obtain a licence and fulfil all responsibilities of an FBO as stipulated in Section 23 of the FSS Act,” the letter said.

This was pursuant to a RTI application filed by Bengaluru-based T. Narasimhamurthy on adherence of food safety norms by the TTD while making laddus and whether it possess an FSSAI licence.

Mr. Narasimhamurthy filed a complaint with FSSAI in July alleging that laddus were being made in an unhygienic manner. “The deficiencies are noticed at every stage, including manufacture, storage, distribution and sale. Materials such as bolts, nuts, key chains and gutka covers have been found in the laddus,” he alleged.

According to Mr. Narasimhamurthy, the FSSAI Act states that only those with clean clothes and devoid of infections shall be involved in the manufacture and packing of food items. “Regular reports on the health condition of the cooks should be submitted to the health officer and a fitness certificate should be obtained,” he said, adding that a bill should be provided upon purchase of the product and the packing should carry details about the ingredients and date of manufacture and expiry.

Subsequent to the application, the Joint Food Controller and other officers, including the food inspector, contacted the Joint Executive Officer of TTD to inspect the ‘potu’ (kitchen) where the laddus are prepared. However, permission was denied on the grounds that the ‘potu’ is an ‘auspicious place’ where outsiders are not allowed.

Besides, according to a letter sent by the Director of Public Health Labs and Food Administration, Andhra Pradesh, to the RTI activist, the TTD officer claimed that the laddus cannot be considered as food as they are a holy offering and pilgrims cannot be termed as consumers. “After discussion with the Executive Officer of TTD, a reply will be submitted regarding inspection of the premises and obtaining FSSAI licence,” the letter said. Necessary action will be taken after the Commissioner of Food Safety issues orders.

FSSAI notifies caffeine level for energy drinks

FSSAI caps caffeine content of non-alcoholic beverages at 300mg per litre

FSSAI has also prescribed how much vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 beverages companies can add.

New Delhi: India is set to limit caffeine content in energy drinks, a product category that countries like the US do not regulate.

Starting 1 July, companies selling beverages that have caffeine will have to abide by norms defined by the food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), according to a government notification published on Tuesday.

Non-alcoholic beverages with more than 145mg of caffeine per litre will be labelled as ‘caffeinated beverage’ and caffeine content in these beverages should not cross 300mg per litre irrespective of the source of the caffeine, the notification said. Earlier, the regulator had suggested an upper limit of 320mg.

Energy drinks such as Red Bull, Tzinga, Cloud 9 and Monster fall in this category. These products will have to make certain disclosures, including the quantum of caffeine content, on the labels.

Carbonated beverages, including colas, will not fall in the category unless the caffeine content crosses 145mg per litre. Carbonated beverages do not disclose the quantum of caffeine on the labels but state that the beverage contains caffeine.

Besides disclosure of quantum of caffeine in the beverage, companies will have to mention on the labels that one should “consume not more than 500ml per day”. This is to limit how much of a caffeinated beverage a consumer can have in a day.

A 250ml cup of coffee contains 80-150mg of caffeine; a similar quantity of tea has 60mg. Colas usually have 8mg of caffeine per 100ml, according to a 7 November 2013 report by The Guardian. The report added that Red Bull has 30mg of caffeine in 100ml.

FSSAI has also prescribed how much vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 beverages companies can add.

“In respect of ingredients, flavours, sweeteners, food additives, contaminants and microbiological requirement the product shall conform to the standards for carbonated water,” the FSSAI added.

On the labels, companies will have to write “high caffeine”, with details of the quantum, and FSSAI has made it mandatory that they prominently display a cautionary note that says: “Not recommended for children, pregnant and lactating women, persons sensitive to caffeine.”

In 2015, FSSAI banned a few variants of Monster energy drink sold by US-based Monster Beverage Corp., and ordered the recall of Restless Energy Drink sold by Pune-based Pushpam Foods and Beverages Pvt. Ltd. FSSAI also banned a few variants of Cloud 9 sold by Goldwin Healthcare Pvt. Ltd, and Tzinga, a product by Hector Beverages Pvt. Ltd, for compliance issues. However, almost all products are available in the retail market.

Both Coca-Cola and its rival PepsiCo Inc. launched caffeinated beverages in India, but failed to attract consumers.

Coca-Cola first launched Shok in 2001, which failed to attract consumers; it subsequently launched Burn in December 2009. PepsiCo launched SoBe in 2008.

According to Coca-Cola website, Burn contains 0.03% of caffeine in a can of 300ml.

“We currently do not have any caffeinated beverage or energy drink in our portfolio,” said a spokesperson for PepsiCo India Pvt. Ltd, the local arm of the beverage maker.

Red Bull India marketing director Avinash Pant did not respond to a query.

Neeraj Kakkar, founder of Hector Beverages, which sells Tzinga energy drink, did not respond to calls and messages seeking comment.

According to a study by FSSAI, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates caffeine content in soft drinks but does not regulate caffeine content in energy drinks as it is considered safe under the US Code of Federal Regulations. The FSSAI study also stated the European Union does not set an upper limit for caffeine but requires only labelling of caffeine content greater than 150mg a kg with “high caffeine content”.

In the same notification, FSSAI has asked companies selling packaged drinking water to use “a blue tint in plastic containers of five litres and above made of poly carbonate and poly terephthalate”. The idea is to prevent the degeneration of the plastic under the effect of sunlight. Mint couldn’t immediately ascertain whether this would raise costs for bottled water companies, and if so, by how much.

GHMC slaps notice against Shah Ghouse hotel

HYDERABAD: The veterinary wing of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has slapped a notice against Shah Ghouse Hotel and Restaurant located opposite Biodiversity Park, Gachibowli, for not procuring meat for preparing non-vegetarian items from the GHMC recognised slaughter houses.

Meat has to be procured from the GHMC recognised slaughter houses only where the animals are slaughtered after thorough examination and hygienic meat is being provided under the supervision of the veterinary wing of the GHMC.

Meanwhile, GHMC directed the owner not to procure the unstamped (unsealed) meat from the illegally slaughtered animals, which may lead to to health hazards and it is against the provision of GHMC Act, 1955 and the provisions of Food safety and Standards Act 2006 and Rules 2011.

No advice given regarding warning labels on fast food, says MoS Anupriya Patel

New Delhi, (IBNS): Centre's Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Anupriya Patel, in a written reply to the Lok Sbhha on Friday said that no advice has been given regarding warning labels on fast foods .

The minister said that ‘Fast Food’ has not been defined under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and Regulations there-under.

However, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued draft guidelines titled “Guidelines for making available wholesome, nutritious, safe and hygienic food to school children in India in October 2015, wherein the availability of most common HFSS (High in Fat, Salt and Sugar) Foods in schools and an area within 50 meters thereof has been restricted/limited.

The World Health Organization has recently developed guidelines on ‘Sugar intake for Adults and Children’ and the adverse impact of high sugar in foods, said the release.

The need to avoid food high in fat, salt and sugar; aerated beverages; promotion of healthy lifestyle and various other aspects of food safety are disseminated to all concerned through workshops, media campaigns, documentary films, educational booklets, stalls at fairs/melas/events, mass awareness campaigns,etc, the minister said in her reply

Did Tirupati temple violate FSSAI guideline as temple ladoos turn sour

Based on an RTI query filed by Bengaluru-based advocate T Narasimhamurthy, details have been sought on whether the laddu is being made under hygienic conditions.

The famous Tirupathi laddoo has left a sour taste in the mouth of the officials of the Thirupathi Thirumala Devasthana. Based on an RTI query filed by Bengaluru-based advocate
T Narasimhamurthy, details have been sought on whether the laddu is being made under hygienic conditions.

It is alleged by the RTI applicant that there have been deficiencies in manufacture, sale, distribution and storage of these laddoos. Narasimhamurthy claims that nuts, bolts and even ghutka covers have been found in these laddoos.

TTD is now faced with the dilemma whether to give in to the food safety and standards authority of India or adhere to their rituals of not allowing any outsider in the area where the 'prasadam' is made.

According to the FSSAI Act, any place serving or distributing food should follow the guidelines:

• Clean clothes to all those involved in manufacture and packing.
• Regular health reports of the cook
• Packaging should carry details of ingredients, date of manufacturing and expiry

Also mention the classification of food, whether vegetarian,non-vegetarian or egg basedThe RTI activist Narasimhamurthy has received a letter from the Director of Public Health and Food Administartion of Andhra Pradesh that the office of the TTD, has claimed that the laddoos cannot be defines as food as it is 'prasadam' for the pilgrims.

Tirupati temple may have to get FSSAI license to serve, make laddus

Soon, your Tirupati laddu may come with a food safety mark. A report published in The Hindu said that the Triumala Tirupati Devasthanam, which runs the renowned temple will have to obtain a license from the Food Safety Association of India (FSSAI).

Suneeti Toteja, director of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a central body which regulates manufacturing, processing, distribution and sale of food in India, has written to the food commissioner of Andhra Pradesh, stating that the temple authority must adhere to the safety standards prescribed the Food Safety Standards Act, 2006.

Since laddu is a "food" under the act, the temple administration has to buy a license to distribute it, the letter continued. TTD is officially a Food Business Operator (FBO), as per the Act and is bound to follow the safety standards, the letter added.

Toteja letter had come in response to a Right To Information (RTI) application filed with the FSSAI complaining about the alleged unhygienic conditions under which the laddus are made by the TTD, the board which runs the renowned temple, The Hindu report said. Bengaluru-based T Narasimhamurthy had submitted the application.

According to food safety act, only those wearing clean clothes and not suffering from any kind of infections shall be allowed to manufacture and pack food, a Bangalore Mirror report stated. Narasimhamurthy has said that the laddus must have a expiry date, while a bill must be provided when it is purchased.

The Tirupati laddu has a 300-year history behind it, and is believed to have been invented in the 18th century. The laddu, offered to devotees as prasadam, is known for its unique taste, the tabloid added.

However, according to latest reports, the TTD has refused entry to food inspectors on the grounds that the temple kitchen is an auspicious place. The board also refused to consider the laddu as a food, since it believed devotees cannot be considered customers.

Narasimhamurthy is waiting for a reply from the food inspectors regarding the hygiene conditions in the kitchen.

Cheese, butter is good for heart

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Hazardous chemicals found in chilli powder: Kamineni

Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas and Food Safety Commissioner Samuel Anand Kumar demonstrating how to detect adulteration of chilli powder at a press conference in Vijayawada on Friday.
During a major crackdown on adulterated chilli powder in the recent weeks, the Commissionerate of Food Safety (CFS) of Andhra Pradesh found eight out of 10 samples of misbranded packets to be hazardous. The remaining two were substandard.
A total of 3.09 tonnes of misleading or falsely-labelled chilli powder was seized.
A chemical analysis of the samples traced the presence of harmful chemicals Sudan, red oxide and Rhodamine-B, said Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas. Addressing a press conference along with Food Safety Commissioner Samuel Anand Kumar here on Friday, Mr. Srinivas said nearly 683 tonnes of the adulterated chilli powder was seized from 71 storage facilities in the last one month.
The value of these stocks was estimated to be Rs. 25 crore. Cases were booked against 50 companies and sellers that were doing the business, which was not only illegal but also detrimental to health.
Mr. Kumar said chilli stalks were ground and mixed with the actual chilli powder along with various chemicals on a large scale. Such chilli powder was blended with some pickles.
Raids by officials of the CFS, Revenue, Agriculture and Legal Metrology Departments would continue to bust this adulteration racket which posed serious health risk, he added.

Don’t use newspaper to pack food, says FSSAI

CHENNAI: If you are about to squeeze the oil out of a bajji at a roadside stall with a piece of newspaper, stop. Use of newspapers to wrap, pack or serve food is common in India. But the country’s top food safety authority has now drawn public attention to its dangers.
The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a country-wide advisory, raising an alarm over the harmful effects of the printing ink that may get absorbed in food. The newspapers have harmful pigments and binders. Used papers poses the threat of containing harmful microorganisms too.
“There is an urgent need to discourage the use of newspaper by creating an awareness,” the advisory stated.
While newspapers can harm, even cardboard boxes made of recycled paper are a no-no as it may be contaminated by carcinogens, toxic metals like lead, mineral oils or harmful chemicals such as phthalate which can cause digestive problems.
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda tweeted, “I request public to dissuade the vendors from using newspapers in packing and serving food.”
There is yet no ban on use of newspapers and recycled cardboard for packing food. “Right now there is no penalty. The point is to create an awarenes. Eventually a ban maybe imposed,” said Dr B Vasu Kumar, director and additional commissioner of food safety, Chennai. He added that vendors should go back to using leaves for serving food.
Vendors are unhappy. “Leaves are expensive. Round-cut plantain leaf costs Rs 3 a plate. A dhonnai (cup made of dried leaves) is Rs 1.50. For a Rs 5 bonda, we can’t buy a Rs 3 leaf,” said Dhanalaxmi, a street food vendor. She added, “Hotels pack hot food in polythene bags that melt. Sweet shops use cardboard boxes lined with wax. Unless the Government subsidises clean packing material, we can’t run our business

Paper-wrapped food poses health risk’

Citing health hazards, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has launched a campaign urging vendors of roadside eateries to stop serving food items wrapped in newspaper.

R. Kathiravan, designated officer of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, Chennai district, pointed to the presence of chemicals including heavy metals in newspapers, which pose serious health risks. “They (vendors) are always in the habit of packaging items like vada and bonda in newspapers since they are cheap and easily available. But such practices cannot be tolerated as they pose a serious health hazard. They could use aluminium foil instead, which is also easily available and quite affordable,” he added.

Initially, the campaign is being conducted in Villivakam, Arumbakkam, Anna Nagar and Koyambedu. Food Safety Officer A. Sathasivam said that the officials were planning to extend the campaign across the city and conclude it by the end of the month. “Apart from newspapers, we have been asking the vendors to stop using plastic sheets too, which are widely used for cooking idlis,” he said.

The awareness programme has covered around 60 shops so far, said Mr. Sathasivam, adding that the officials were also conducting compliance checks.

Consumers should be aware about food adulteration

Adulterated fruits and vegetables are ubiquitous. Adulteration of food has assumed an ‘alarming proportion’ in our country. From milk to drinking water and fruits to edible oils and even meat are being adulterated. It goes on unabated and the incidence of incurable diseases like cancer becomes higher with time. This is a matter of grave concern because it directly pertains to public health, which cannot be compromised. Adulteration of food consists of substituting it wholly or in part by any inferior or cheaper substance or removing any sort of its constituents wholly or in part which affect adversely the nature or quality of the product.
Besides a ban, manufacturers should be punished for deceiving the public and violating food safety laws. Although the government has enacted several laws to curb food adulteration, they are far from properly enforced. Not least due to lack of trained manpower, and endemic corruption. As a consequence, public health is at the ‘mercy of the profiteers and adulterators’ poisoning our food.
With all this understanding and information known to authorities who can help in reducing the problem, are ‘nowhere in the picture’ to solve it. There is no mechanism to monitor such unscrupulous activities and punish the guilty who are posing a grave threat to our health. According to the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, if any person imports or manufactures for sale, or stores or distribute any adulterant, by himself or by any other person on his behalf, shall be liable for a penalty up to rupees two lakhs, if the adulterant is not injurious to health. Rupees ten lakhs penalty can be imposed upon him if the adulterant is injurious to health. However, adulterators are not scared of any legal or punitive action due to the various loopholes prevailing in the existing laws. The lives of the people are endangered and simple fines and small imprisonments are not enough to deter adulteration. There should be provision for stringent punishments like confiscation of property, life imprisonment etc. So long exemplary punishments are not given, this menace cannot be stopped.
An empowered force of trained food safety personnel should visit eateries, food stores, even festival venues where food is served, and take action where adulteration or contamination is detected through scientific means.
‘Consumer Awareness’ is the first step to eradicate food adulteration. People should start suing the shop owners who sell tainted food. And law should be impartial. Prevailing laws are stringent enough to work as a deterrent against those indulging in food adulteration but much more needs to be done to implement them in the right spirit. Consumers have to be aware of their rights, and non-profit organizations should play an active role in this regard. To make the nation healthy, every citizen must be able to buy food that is free from contamination.

Wrapping food in newspaper a health hazard: regulator

India’s food regulator has issued an advisory stating that the use of newspapers for wrapping and packing of food items, a common practice by street vendors, poses a health hazard.
The regulator on Wednesday expressed concern over “Indians being slowly poisoned” by cancer-causing agents in newspaper ink.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) restricted the use of newspapers and packaging material saying that consumption of food wrapped in newspapers was “injurious to health, even if the food had been cooked hygienically. Indians are being slowly poisoned due to newspapers being widely used as food packaging material by small hotels, vendors and also in homes in lieu of absorbent paper.”
‘Harmful pigments’
The food regulator said the chemicals in newspaper ink contain harmful colours, pigments, additives and preservatives. “Besides chemical contaminants, presence of pathogenic micro-organisms in used newspaper poses potential risk to human health. Older people, children and people with compromised vital organs and immune systems are at a greater risk of acquiring cancer-related health complications if they are exposed to food packed in such material,” said FSSAI in a press statement.
The FSSAI has stated that there is an urgent need to discourage the use of newspaper as food packaging material by creating awareness among businesses, especially unorganised food business operators, about the harmful effects. The regulator has instructed the commissioners of food safety across the country to initiate an awareness campaign to this effect.

Eating food wrapped in newspapers can invite cancer :FSSAI

New Delhi: Do you eat bhel or chat from a roadside hawkers who serve it in a cone made of newspapers? Do you buy foods packed in cardboard boxes? Well, you might be putting yourselves at a greater risk of acquiring cancer-related health complications. To discourage such practice, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in its latest advisory has asked the commissioners of food safety of all states to generate awareness amongst the stakeholders.

According to the food authority, consumption of food wrapped in newspaper is dangerous since the ink contains multiple bioactive materials with known negative effects. “Indian are being slowly poisoned due to newspaper being widely used as food packaging material by small hotels, vendors and also in homes in lieu of absorbent paper,” reads the advisory. Importantly, the printing ink also contains harmful colours, pigments, binders, additives and preservatives, which pose potential risk to human health.

The FSSAI has also cautioned the usage of cardboard boxes made of recycled paper, which may be contaminated with metallic contaminants, mineral oils and harmful chemicals like “phthalates”, as it can cause digestive problems and also lead to severe toxicity,” it further said. Significantly, it added, “extra warning” for older people, teenagers, children and people with compromised vital organs and immune systems as according to FSSAI they are at greater risk of acquiring cancer related health complication, if they are exposed to food packaged in such material.

While the offenders do not face any penalty so far, the advisory calls for an urgent need to discourage the use of newspaper being widely used as food packaging. “Newspapers should not be used to wrap, cover, serve food or to absorb excess oil from fried food. There is an urgent need to discourage the use of newspaper as food packaging material by creating awareness among businesses especially unorganised food business operators and consumers on its harmful effects. Suitable steps need to be taken to restrict and control its use,” added the advisory.

Henceforth, the FSSAI has asked its commissioners of food safety of all states to initiate systematic campaign for generating awareness to discourage the use of newspaper for packaging, serving and storing of food items.

Ban manufacture and sale of pan masala containing tobacco: Govt to states

NEW DELHI: The Union health ministry has asked states to enforce ban on manufacture as well as sale of pan masala containing nicotine or tobacco irrespective of whether it is available as one product or sold by mixing with other ingredients.

"I request you to please get the necessary orders passed in compliance of the Supreme Court direction/order dated 23.09.2016 and ensure that the manufacture, storage, distribution or sale of gutka and pan masala (containing tobacco or nicotine) and any other products marketed separately...

"...having tobacco or nicotine in the final product by whatever name called, whether packaged or un-packaged and/or sold as one product, or though packaged as separate products, sold or distributed in such a manner so as to easily facilitate mixing by the consumer is prohibited in your jurisdiction," Union Health secretary C K Mishra wrote in his letter to state governments.

He said that in this context that states such as Bihar, Karnataka, Mizoram, Kerala and Madhya Pradesh have already issued orders in compliance of the Supreme Court order.

In his letter, he noted that tobacco use is the foremost preventable cause of death and disease globally as well as in lndia and said that as per the Global Audit Tobacco Survey - lndia (GATS) 2010, smokeless tobacco or chewing forms are the most prevalent forms with 206 million lndians using it.

"As such the consequent burden of mortality and morbidity due to consumption of smokeless tobacco is very high in lndia. Available evidence suggests that lndia shares the maximum burden of oral cancer in the World," he wrote.

He said that in order to circumvent the ban on the sale of gutka, the manufacturers are selling pan masala (without tobacco) with flavoured chewing tobacco in separate sachets'.

Often these sachets are sold together by the same vendors from the same premises, so that consumers can buy the pan masala and flavoured chewing tobacco and mix them and consume the same.

Hence, instead of the earlier "ready to consume mixes", chewing tobacco companies are selling gutka in twin packs to be mixed as one, he said.

The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on sales) Regulations, 2011 in exercise of power conferred under the Food Safety and standards Act, 2006.

According to its regulation, tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food products and it bans sale of all food products where tobacco is present as ingredient in the final product, whether going by the name of gutka, pan masala or zarda.

Concerns of street food vendors

Garima Arora, Dec 08, 2016, DHNS
Food festival The fourth edition of the street food festival at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN Stadium) will soon to hit the grounds, and the festival this year is going to be bigger and better.
More than 300 regional cuisines from 25 states will be a part of the festival and there is nothing in the street food genre that has been “left out”.
“We wanted to highlight the concerns and issues of street food vendors. So instead of holding a conference or a seminar, we thought of organising a food festival and through that, attract policy makers so that they give these vendors the required space for setting up their stalls,” Arbind Singh, national coordinator, National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), tells Metrolife.
The festival, says Singh, has been taking place since the past nine years. Earlier, it was held at the Constitution Club of India, then at JLN Stadium and is now being implemented to be held in Goa.
Along with an extensive array of regional cuisines from across the country, the
festival will also include other informative events about street food and street food vendors, along with magic shows, performances by bands like Indian Ocean and meeting with celebrity chefs Sanjeev Kapoor and Kunal Kapur.
“The purpose of the festival is to bring street food vendors in the mainstream food scene so that they get their deserved space in the cities and respect by people,” adds Singh.
This year, the festival is organised by NASVI and Food Safety and Standards authority of India (FSSAI), which according to Singh is a “great achievement” for the member-based organisation (NASVI) and also “raises the bar of the festival”.
The organisation has around 6,52,000 members across India and these members work on the rights of these vendors, try to get zones for them.
“At the festival, we train vendors who are beginners or are not very skilled. We train them about how to take care of hygiene and sell in a way to attract more customers. When they receive good response from people, they get motivated to do better.
Most of these vendors go back with a changed mindset about street food and their livelihood through it,” says Singh adding that the festival also helps them learn skills of entrepreneurship and become role models for other vendors.
While hygiene is one of the main concerns why many are sceptical about street food, Singh says that all these vendors will arrive a day before the festival kicks off and will be trained for taking care of the same.
Additionally, every stall will be assigned one person each, who will be taking care of the cleanliness and hygienic conditions.
However, organising a festival in a makeshift place is one of the biggest challenges for organisers, reports Singh.
“In a makeshift place, everything from the setting up of the stalls to the stages for entertainment have to be done from the scratch. The festival is attended by people from all across country and serving them good and hygienic food is not easy.”
“But it's all worth the effort in the end because many of these vendors are able to get more visibility. The festival exposes their conditions and gives them more confidence about their livelihood. They all return with the motivation of getting better business,” says Singh.
The National Street Food Festival 2016 will be held from December 23 to December 25, at JLN stadium, from 12 noon to 10 pm.