FOOD SAFETY LATEST

Mar 23, 2017

தரம் குறைவான அப்பளம் தயாரித்தவருக்கு அபராதம்

சேலம்: தரம் குறைவான அப்பள தயாரிப்பில் ஈடுபட்டவருக்கு, 10 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் அபராதம், ஒருநாள் சிறை தண்டனை அளித்து, சேலம் நீதிமன்றம் உத்தரவிட்டது. சேலம், சூரமங்கலம் மூலைப் பிள்ளையார் கோவில் தெருவை சேர்ந்தவர் பீட்டர், 42. இவர், அப்பளம் தயாரித்து விற்று வந்தார்.

கந்தம்பட்டியில் உள்ள இவரது உற்பத்தி இடத்தில், 2016 செப்., 27ல், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் சோதனை நடத்தினர். அப்பளத்தை ஆய்வுக்கு அனுப்பியதில், அது தரக்குறைவாக இருந்தது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டது. இந்த வழக்கு சேலம் ஜே.எம்.எண் - 4ல் நடந்து வந்தது.

நேற்று வழங்கிய தீர்ப்பில், பீட்டருக்கு, 10 ஆயிரம் ரூபாய் அபராதம், நீதிமன்றம் கலையும் வரை, ஒருநாள் சிறை தண்டனை விதித்து, மாஜிஸ்திரேட் லிங்கம் உத்தரவிட்டார்.

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70% Of All Herbal Supplements In India May Be Fake: Know The Risks!

Thanks to all the alarmist and sensational articles about the dangers of modern medicine, most of us are suspicious of allopathic drugs, but don’t think twice before popping a diet or herbal supplement. Doctors and dietitians have been warning people to be careful about the supplements they buy, but most of us didn’t realize the possible health risks – that was until a recent study showed that we might have more to fear from the daily garcinia cambogia, wheat grass, or Echinacea tablet we take than the occasional OTC tablet for a cold or cough!

India’s Growing Market For Fake Diet & Herbal Supplements

“60-70% of dietary supplements across the country are unregistered, unapproved, fake, & counterfeit”

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) and RNCOS conducted a study on dietary and herbal supplements across India. They found that 60-70 percent of dietary supplements are unregistered, unapproved, fake, and counterfeit.

Allopathic drugs face the most stringent quality tests by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), which is the national regulatory body for Indian pharmaceuticals; however, dietary and herbal supplements do not come under their purview and it was only in 2015 that the food safety regulator FSSAI came up with quality and safety norms to regulate these nutraceuticals.

Herbal and dietary supplements have been growing in popularity especially among Indian millennials. Surveys show that approximately 78 percent of adolescents in urban India consume some form of dietary supplement on a daily basis.

The Health Risks Of Fake Diet & Herbal Supplements

“Heavy metals such as lead, mercury, & arsenic in fake supplements can cause organ damage, but often don’t cause any noticeable symptoms for years”

Herbal supplements currently account for 30 percent of the market, while the market for dietary supplements in India is over 2 billion dollars and expected to hit the 4 billion mark by 2020. Surveys show people take herbal and dietary supplements to improve their immunity and their physical appearance and they assume that these supplements are safe and harmless.

A raid on a factory manufacturing “dietary supplements” illegally provides insight on what your supplement might actually contain – starch, milk powder, custard powder, and steroids. The danger from fake diet and herbal supplements lies in the fillers that are used. Fake products often contain ingredients that are not listed and can cause adverse reactions.

Many fake supplements contain contaminants like lead, mercury, and arsenic. These heavy metals have been linked to a variety of serious health problems and they can have a lasting impact on your health. While it can take years for these supplements to affect you, there have also been reported cases where people took “ayurvedic” supplements and within months suffered severe renal failure and died!

Our Take

It may be unpleasant but it’s time to face the facts – as 60-70 percent of dietary and herbal supplements in India are fake, it’s more than likely that the capsules you take will be doing more good than harm. Remember, this is one time when the odds are just not in your favor!

Food safety officials crack down on stockists in Guntur, Vijayawada

Guntur has been the hub of adulterated milk, milk powder, black gram, edible oils, turmeric and chilli powder.

The food safety officials have recently found that even biscuits and over-the-counter snacks which are bought by school-going children are being adulterated in Vijayawada.

Vijayawada: The food products adulteration continues unabated in the capital region. Krishna and Guntur districts have become the hub of adulterated food products in the state. New adulterated food products are surfacing almost on daily basis in the two districts. Vijayawada has been the hub of adulterated ghee and milk products for years.

The food safety officials have recently found that even biscuits and over-the-counter snacks which are bought by school-going children are being adulterated in Vijayawada.

Many prefer Sunnundalu, a local snack known for its nutritional values, which are made up of black gram powder, sugar and ghee are found to be adulterated.

The food safety officials found that decayed black gram intended for cattle feed and low-grade vegetable fat (dalda) are being used in making sunnundalu. In addition, the biscuits are being prepared with the ingredients that are used to manufacture cattle food.

This vegetable fat is being brought from the stockists, where the residues of the fat left over and are not useful for consumption as it changes the colour.

According to the zonal food controller Nutalapati Purna Chandar Rao, these products are sub-standard in nature and harmful to health. He said they will cause intestinal disorders and damages the liver.

Dr K. Ravi, endocrinologist, observed that consumption of hydrogenated and unsaturated fats like dalda causes serious health problems if not immediate but in the long run. These fats affect the metabolism of the body and also leads to arterial clogs which results in strokes.

Guntur has been the hub of adulterated milk, milk powder, black gram, edible oils, turmeric and chilli powder.

Narasaraopet and Vinukonda areas have hundreds of small units that are making these adulterated products. The saying in the district was that in Narasaraopet, one can get “second grade (do number mall) products of anything and everything.

The food safety officials have busted milk dairies that are preparing milk with skimmed milk powder mixed with vegetable fat in Guntur.

They have also found dehusked black gram coated with talcum powder to get shining and oil mills preparing cooking oils with animal fats in Guntur district. Chilli powder and turmeric adulteration is rampant in the district.

Mangoes now being ripened with ethylene; AMC raids shops

Ahmedabad: Come mango season and the priority is to choose sweet, naturally ripened fruits to avoid health hazards. Civic authorities usually keep vigil to prevent unhealthy practices. This time, around sachets of ethylene were found in mango cartons sold by vendors at the Naroda fruit market.

Officials of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation's (AMC) flying squad on Wednesday raided shops at Naroda fruit market to check for chemicals being used to artificially ripen fruit.

"Sachets of ethylene were found in mango cartons to artificially ripen the fruit. Earlier, sachets of carbide powder were being used for ripening. Ethylene is widely used for ripening fruits especially in southern states," said Bhavin Solanki, in-charge medical officer, health, AMC.

"This ethylene is in the form of a starchy powder which slowly releases ethylene gas, which causes mangoes and other fruit to ripen. Ethylene gas chambers are often used to ripen fruits however, there is no clarity on the safety of ethylene sachets. We have sought the opinion of experts about the issue," said Solanki.

Members of AMC's flying squad also discovered sachets of calcium carbide, being used for artificial ripening by certain vendors. While health officials insisted that that no carbide sachets were found, sources said the use of carbide sachets had been discovered.

Mar 22, 2017

Rat in mid-day meal: Sample fails quality test

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia then said that the government will be filing an FIR against the supplier and blacklisting him as well

It is official. The mid-day meal served to students in a Delhi government school in Deoli, Sangam Vihar, on February 17 was unfit to eat. As much as 50 per cent of the food sample collected on the day when a dead rat was found in the meal has failed the quality test. Nine students from the school had fallen ill after consuming the meal.

The Delhi government's Department of Food Safety had lifted six food samples from the school on February 17. On Monday, the department sent a letter to the Director of Education, giving details about the test results and urging for necessary action.

"Three of the six samples have failed the quality test and have been found to be unsafe. When categorised under the unsafe category, the samples are considered to be extremely harmful for consumption. The maximum punishment is life imprisonment," a senior official from the Department of Food Safety said. The sample lifted included masoor dal, chana dal, poori, and rice. They have now been sent to the Central Referral Laboratory for final confirmation.

As per the process, once the department finds samples unfit for consumption, a notice is sent to the food supplier. If the supplier reaches out to the court, the samples are sent to the Central Referral Laboratory for final confirmation. If the samples fail the test there as well, the supplier is punished as per the guidelines.

On February 17, nine students of the Government Boys Senior Secondary School in Deoli had to be rushed to the Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital after a dead rat was found in the mid-day meal served to them. The Directorate of Education (DOE) officials said the mid-day meal was being supplied to the school by a private firm.

‘Railways must take food safety seriously’

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Tuesday raised concerns on food hygiene on trains and asked the Indian Railways to redesign coaches so that food served on trains are not stacked next to the lavatories.

“If you look at your catering services function on board, first thing that happens is that the food items are stacked next to the toilets,” FSSAI chief Ashish Bahuguna said at a Round Table Conference on improving the Quality of Catering Services organised by the Indian Railways.

“That puts off everybody. What happens after that is worse. When people carry their own food, there is no place for disposal. So hygiene and sanitation is something that has to be looked at seriously,” he said. The regulator has also drawn up a blueprint to spread food hygiene awareness and train railway catering officials on food safety

He added that re-engineering of coaches has to be done on the longer run as passengers are “hesitant to approach the wash basins” on trains due to poor hygiene conditions. Mr. Bahugana said providing safe drinking water on trains is another major issue and water dispensing machines may be installed on board. The FSSAI chief also said that instead of offering a bouquet of food items, the Railways should focus on providing limited but quality food to passengers.

It has formulated a ‘Safe Food on Track’ programme for training supervisors of catering units at railway stations, food vendors and on board catering units on food safety. This proposal was discussed in a meeting of FSSAI officials with the Indian Railways on Monday, an FSSAI official told The Hindu.

“The FSSAI has proposed that a pool of master trainers be selected out of food safety officers and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) officials. These officials will be trained at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai and other places,” the official said.

The FSSAI further suggested a host of steps to create awareness related to food safety at railway stations and on trains. These include printing of food safety tips on food tray covers to onboard passengers, display of food safety tips in railway coaches and the use of food safety display boards at various food establishments at the railway stations.

“Hygiene is a problem and we are tackling those issues. We have five-six people involved with on-board housekeeping in Mail Express trains. Sometimes passengers create unhygienic conditions by keeping their food trays below their seats and later on, the staff is unable to keep the coaches in necessary ways,” Sanjiv Garg, Additional Member (Tourism and Catering), Indian Railways said.

Mandatory Display of Food Safety Boards

Under the existing provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, it is mandatory to display the true copy of the license at a prominent place at all times within the premises where the Food Business Operator carries on the food business. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has come out with a revamped Food Safety Display Board (FSDB) covering information viz.,

(i) FSSAI registration/license number which the customer can verify at FSSAI website

(ii) basic food hygiene and safety tips to inform the customers and the food handlers about the important food safety and hygiene requirements

(iii) food Safety declaration indicating that the restaurant abides by regulations under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006

(iv) consumer feedback system informing the consumer about various options for sending feedback to FSSAI through WhatsApp, SMS or give feedback on FSSAI App.

These FSDBs have a holistic 360 degree approach wherein a consumer can know about the Safe Food Practices; Food Handlers can know about the Good Manufacturing Practices/ Good Manufacturing Practices to be followed; and the Regulatory Staff can know about the inspection check points, thus covering the gap. FSDBs have till now been prepared for six sectors namely-restaurants, street food, milk retail, meat retail, food retail sector and fruit & vegetable retail. Presently, these Food Safety Display Boards are being displayed voluntarily by 14 major and few minor Food Business Operators across their chain covering around 2000 outlets across India.

The Minister of State (Health and Family Welfare), Smt Anupriya Patel stated this in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha here today.

9 illegal meat shops sealed in Mahanagar, Aliganj

Lucknow: A day after state government's order to shut all illegal butcher shops and slaughter houses in the city, Lucknow Municipal Corporation swung into action and sealed nine meat shops in Mahanagar and Aliganj. Along with possession of licences issued by LMC, the butcher shops will also be reviewed on the parameters of Pollution Act, ground water conservation guidelines and Food Safety act.

As per LMC's estimate, along with 600 licensed meat shops, there are approximately 200-250 butcher shops that are running illegally. Animal rights activists, however, claimed there are more than 1,500 non-authorised meat shops in the city. Also, according to LMC there is no slaughter house in the city at present, there were four abattoirs till a couple of years back in Aminabad, Motijheel, Chikmandi and Kasaibada but they all were sealed in 2014-15 following the orders of Supreme Court.

This implies that only chicken, goat and sheep are butchered in the meat shops and no big animal is slaughtered in the city. Officials said all big animals are processed at the integrated slaughterhouses in Barabanki and Unnao and meat is brought to the city from there.

Second phase of the drive includes a survey of all eight zones to find out how many illegal shops are operating in the city.

The drive also found support from animal rights groups, which have been running a campaign against slaughterhouses and butcher shops that allegedly treat livestock cruelly before killing them for meat.

LMC's veterinary official Arvind Rao said, "The drive will be carried out till all illegal shops in the city are sealed. We are also planning to re-inspect all the four slaughter houses that have been sealed in past years."

Crackdown on illegal abattoirsacross state

Police and municipal authorities began to crack down on illegal slaughterhousesacross the state with raids on Tuesday on many such units in most of the districts. A couple of abattoirs were sealed. Besides, there was an estensive drive to check the licence of meat shops.

In the state capital, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation swung into action and sealed nine meat shops in Mahanagar and Aliganj. Along with possession of licences issued by LMC, the butcher shops will also be reviewed on the parameters of Pollution Act, ground water conservation guidelines and Food Safety act. As per LMC's estimate, along with 600 licensed meat shops, there are approximately 200-250 butcher shops that are running illegally. Besides, not a single slaughterhouse in the city is authorised to function; the four the state capital had were all issued closure notices by the UPPCB between 2013 and 2015. One, which existed in the cantonment, was completely sealed by the cantonment board. The other three were in Motijheel, Aminabad and Kasaibada.

What! Yellow mangoes are bad?

Perhaps the only good news of summer is that it comes with mangoes. Their decreasing prices, though an upsetting thing for farmers, is an added bonus for consumers. However, not all mangoes available in the market are good. In particular, the yellow ones are apparently the worst as they are ripened artificially using chemicals that include Calcium Carbide.

Balaji, a Food Inspector says, “There are cases being booked on the people who use chemicals for ripening the fruits. There are also stringent rules coming up soon for vendors who indulge in chemical ripening.” “We are planning to spread word and bring in notices to fruit merchants about stringent rules coming up so that it can be like a warning for many vendors,” he says.

Uma Rani, a customer at a fruit market says, “I miss the real taste of these fruits. Because of adulteration in almost every food item, we are losing natural vitamins and even after consuming enough fruits and vegetables people are not being strong enough as to what they were before.”

“I was delighted to see the mangos in the market this early; I brought 2 kg last week and to my surprise they were hard and sour inside; it was exactly the opposite of what it looked,” she adds.

Madhubala, an Ayurvedic Doctor says, “The results of eating such chemical ripened fruits will leave symptoms of food poisoning like vomiting, dehydration and also there are chances of skin allergies too.”

Fruit vendor, Kalpana informs, “Mangos are the unpredictable fruits; they can fall off the tree with one rain or even for strong winds. So, there are plucked before they fall off which doesn’t affect the farmers. And if one has to get the fruits that are naturally ripened then they have to wait for at least two months more.”

“Food Safety and Standards Rules, 2011 clearly states that there must not be any use of gas or chemicals to ripen the fruits. So, we are making sure that these methods are avoided,” avers Balaji. It’s hard for anyone to stay away from the inviting yellowness of mangoes, but stay safe and healthy. There’s no price for good health.

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Officials seize 720kg of chemically ripened mangoes

Food cell officials inspecting artificially-ripened mangoes in Ramanathapuram on Tuesday.

Fruits worth ₹40,000 destroyed

The District Food Safety Wing of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department has seized 720 kg of chemically ripened mangoes from a godown here on Tuesday.

A team of food safety officials, led by Dr. M. J. C. Bose, District Designated Officer, made a surprise inspection at the godown and found that the mango merchant had used calcium carbide to speed up ripening of mangos.

Dr. Bose said the merchant, who procured the mangos in the pre-ripening stage from Madurai had stocked them in the godown. The officials seized the mangoes, worth about ₹. 40,000 and destroyed them in the compost yard.

Dr. Bose said mangoes ripened with calcium carbide pose serious health hazards and consumers could easily identify chemically ripened mangoes. These mangoes would be abnormal in size and would have black spots on the skin. The skin would look fully ripened but the pulp inside would be white, he said.

Consumption of artificially-ripened fruits would cause ulcer, insomnia and lack of appetite and even cancer, he warned.

Notice served

The merchant had been served with warning notice, he added.

Natural ripening was possible if the mangoes were stored along with bananas and papaya, he added.

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கார்பைடு கல் மூலம் பழுக்க வைத்த 720 கிலோ மாம்பழம் பறிமுதல் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் நடவடிக்கை

ராமநாதபுரத்தில் உணவுப்பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள் நடத்திய அதிரடி சோதனையில்

மாம்பழங்கள்

தற்போது மாம்பழ சீசன் தொடங்கி உள்ளதால் ராமநாதபுரத்தில் மாம்பழங்கள் வரதொடங்கி உள்ளன. மாம்பழங்களை அதிக விலைக்கு விற்பனை செய்து லாபம் சம்பாதிக்கம் நோக்கத்தில் மாங்காயாக இருக்கும் போதே சிலர் அதனை பறித்து கார்பைடு கல் மூலம் பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பனை செய்து வருகின்றனர். கார்பைடு கல் மூலம் பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்ட மாம்பழங்களை சாப்பிடும்போது பல்வேறு உடல் உபாதைகள் ஏற்படுகின்றன.

ராமநாதபுரம் மாவட்டத்தில் பல இடங்களில் கார்பைடு கல் மூலம் பழுக்க வைத்த மாம்பழங்கள் விற்கப்படுவதாக ராமநாதபுரம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகளுக்கு தகவல் கிடைத்தது. இதைதொடர்ந்து மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரி டாக்டர் ஜெகதீஸ் சந்திரபோஸ் தலைமையில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் ஜான்பீட்டர், கருணாநிதி ஆகியோர் ராமநாதபுரம் நகரில் பல்வேறு இடங்களில் அதிரடி சோதனை நடத்தினர்.

மாம்பழங்கள் பறிமுதல்

ராமநாதபுரம் வடக்குத்தெரு பகுதியில் மாம்பழ குடோன் வைத்து மொத்த வியாபாரம் செய்து வரும் கண்ணன் என்பவரின் குடோனில் அதிகாரிகள் சோதனை நடத்தினர். இந்த சோதனையில், அங்கிருந்த மாம்பழங்கள் கார்பைடு கல் மூலம் பழுக்க வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது தெரியவந்தது.

மதுரையில் இருந்து வாங்கிவரப்பட்ட மாங்காய்களை கார்பைடு கல் மூலம் பழுக்க வைத்து மாவட்டம் முழுவதும் அங்கிருந்து விற்பனைக்கு அனுப்பி வைத்திருப்பதும் தெரியவந்தது. இதனை தொடர்ந்து குடோனில் இருந்த 720 கிலோ மாம்பழங்களை கைப்பற்றிய அதிகாரிகள் நகராட்சி உரக்கிடங்கில் உரிய முறைப்படி கொட்டி அழித்தனர். இதுதொடர்பாக உணவுபாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள், சம்பந்தப்பட்ட வியாபாரிக்கு எச்சரிக்கை நோட்டீஸ் வழங்கி உள்ளனர்.

வயிற்றுபோக்கு

இதுகுறித்த அதிகாரியான டாக்டர் ஜெகதீஸ் சந்திரபோஸ் கூறியதாவது:–

பொதுவாக மாம்பழங்கள் மாமரங்களில் இயற்கையாக உற்பத்தியாகும் எத்திலின் மூலம் பழுத்து விடும். ஆனால், மாங்காய்களை பறித்து வந்து செயற்கையாக கார்பைடு கல் மூலம் பழுக்க வைத்து விற்பனை செய்து வருகின்றனர். இந்த முறையால் பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் மாம்பழங்களை உண்பதால் வயிற்றில் புண், பசியின்மை, வாந்தி, மயக்கம், வயிற்றுபோக்கு, ரத்த அழுத்தம் போன்ற நோய்கள் ஏற்படும். கேன்சர் உருவாகும் வாய்ப்பும் உள்ளது.

இதன்காரணமாக, கார்பைடு கல் மூலம் மாம்பழங்கள் பழுக்க வைக்கப்படுவது தடை செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. கார்பைடு கல் மூலம் பழுக்க வைக்கப்படும் மாம்பழங்கள் அதிக மஞ்சள் நிறத்தில் மினுமினுப்பாக இருப்பதோடு, வழக்கத்தை விட சற்று பெரியதாக இருக்கும். மாம்பழ தோள் பகுதியில் கரும்புள்ளிகள் இருக்கும். மாம்பழத்தினை தொட்டு பார்த்தால் வழக்கத்தைவிட சற்று வெப்பமாக இருப்பதை உணர முடியும்.

வியாபாரிகளுக்கு வேண்டுகோள்

இந்த வகை மாம்பழங்கள் பார்ப்பதற்கு பழுத்துள்ளது போன்று இருந்தாலும், அதன் சுவை இனிக்காமல் காய் போன்றே இருக்கும். கார்பைடு கல் மூலம் மாம்பழங்களை பழுக்க வைப்பது குற்றமாகும்.

அதற்கு பதிலாக மாங்காய்களை பப்பாளி, வாழைப்பழம் முதலியவற்றுடன் கலந்து வைத்தால் உடனடியாக இயற்கை முறையில் பழுத்துவிடும். ஏனெனில் வாழைப்பழம், பப்பாளி முதலியவற்றில் இயற்கையாகவே எத்திலின் சுரப்பு அதிகம் உள்ளது. எனவே, மாங்காய்களை பழுக்க வைக்க இதுபோன்ற நடைமுறைகளை வியாபாரிகள் பின்பற்ற வேண்டும். இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

Mar 21, 2017

ORDER - NOC FROM CENTRAL GROUND WATER AUTHORITY FOR PDW UNITS

DINAMANI NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

FSSAI notifies norms for food import, outlines guidelines for labelling, health risk review

Regulations to facilitate ease of trade and doing business, ensure health of consumers

NEW DELHI, MARCH 20:

In a bid to streamline the process of clearance for imported foods, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI ) has notified import regulations.

The regulations include provisions for risk-based framework under which the food regulator may review risks associated with articles of food imports from time to time, besides adopting a risk-based inspection process.

After two-year long consultations with the stakeholders concerned, the Food Safety and Standards (Import) Regulations, 2017 has been notified.

The regulator said the comprehensive regulations would facilitate ease of trade and ease of doing business while ensuring that the health of the consumers is not compromised.

The regulations have laid down procedure for clearance of imported food products into India and include various provisions related to licensing regime for food importers. It also includes provisions for food import clearance for specific purposes, storage, inspection and sampling of imported food articles and prohibition and restriction on food imports, besides labelling provisions for import of food products.

Talking about the risk-based framework, the regulator said, “the regulation specifies the scheme for risk-based sampling imported food articles, which facilitates ease of doing business while not compromising the health of thepublic.”

Besides risk-based sampling, the food authority may introduce a pre-arrival document review for regulating imports. The regulator could also look at entering into a memoranda of understanding with relevant agencies in exporting countries for accelerated clearance of food imports from the countries to facilitate ease of doing business.

“The Food Authority may identify laboratories in exporting countries for prior testing of food samples before the articles of food are imported into India. It may, from time to time, issue food alert notifications, including time-bound prohibition on articles of food or prohibiting source or recalls, based on the risk associated with the articles of food,” the notification said.

Mar 20, 2017

DINAKARAN NEWS

E-commerce sites should display manufacturing and expiry dates on packaged foods, consumers say

Ordering packaged food from e-commerce sites has increased many folds in the recent years but the absence of manufacturing and expiry dates on such products often leads to the product not being fully utilised. A whooping 96 per cent of the participants in a recent survey agreed that ecommerce sites should mandatorily disclose manufacturing and expiry dates of such products sold on their sites.

Citizen engagement platform LocalCircles conducted a poll and asked how many of the consumers thought that ecommerce sites should mandatorily disclose manufacturing and expiry date of the packaged food products sold on their sites.

Out of the approximately 10,000 consumers who voted, 96 per cent answered in a yes, with only 2 per cent, saying it should not be done and 2 per cent choosing not to answer.

"LocalCircles will be taking up this issue shortly with Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Department of Consumer Affairs requesting them to take immediate action on this matter so all eCommerce site and their sellers of packaged food comply with this ask by the consumers," the citizen engagement platform said in a statement.

This survey, according to LocalCircles, is a result of several complaints from users, stating that some of the packaged food that they ordered from ecommerce sites is quite close to its expiry date and has limited shelf life available.

The display of manufacturing and expiry dates as well as the MRP, LocalCircles said, will help the consumer as well as increase consumer trust in the eCommerce channel.

GM crops could contribute to higher food output: ICAR chief

KARNAL: A discussion on the impact of the genetically modified (GM) crops on food security was organised at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal on Saturday where experts deliberated over various aspects of the issue. The discussion was part of D Sundaresan Memorial Oration on impact of genetically modified crops on food security.

The director general of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Trilochan Mohapatra, who is the secretary of the department of agricultural research and education (DARE), presented his views on the GM crops. He said, "Around 900 million people in the world are undernourished. Many more suffer from specific nutritional deficiencies, often related to insufficient intake of micro-nutrients. Eradicating hunger is a central part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. In order to achieve the goals, genetically modified (GM) crops are also mentioned on some occasions, as scientists see the development and use of GM crops as the key to reduce hunger amidst other controversies."

He said, "There are three possible pathways how GM crops could impact food security. First, GM crops could contribute to food production increases and thus improve the availability of food at global and local levels. Second, GM crops could affect food safety and food quality. Third, GM crops could influence the economic and social situation of farmers, thus improving or worsening their economic access to food."

Elaborating about genomics, Mohapatra said the science of genomics had transformed the way new varieties in crops and breeds in animals are being selected by providing vast knowledge about the actual genes responsible for a preferred growth trait or DNA markers tightly-linked to the trait of interest.

Mar 19, 2017

YOUR GUIDE FOR SAFE AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD AT HOME

DINAKARAN ARTICLE

FDA likely to implement informers’ system

The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) is understood to have decided to bring many changes in its working and might implement informers’ system to easily get information of the adulterators or adulterated food items in the State. Recently, it is going to have Global Positioning System (GPS) attached SIMs to its food safety officers so that they can be tracked where they surveyed or from where they took samples of the adulteration suspected food items’ samples for testing.

According to sources, there is a provision of keeping informers like in police or Forest Department where the department has their paid informers they supply information about criminals and poachers or wood thieves to the concerning officers in order to control illegal activities in both the departments.

Such informers’ system provision is in Government of India’s Foods Safety Act but the State Government is to make law according to which so that there will be some budgetary provision to pay some amount to the informers giving information about the adulterated food items or adulterators.

However, the Food Safety Officers have informers but they are unpaid and so they are not officially on the job.

They are the reason these officers are able to reach to the place where adulterated food items are sold or to whom who are indulged in it.

About some months when the Food Safety Officers had raided a few traders of mava, sweets and milk dairies and the raids were conducted on the factories where the adulterated milk, mava and panner was being made. It might be possible with help of informers.

It is learnt that the senior officers of Foods and Drugs Administration (FDA) are deliberating over implementing informers’ system in state and it might be started in coming months. It will give more relief to the Food Safety Officers.

When contacted, Pramod Shukla, Joint Controller, Foods and Drugs Control, said initially the GPS attached SIM system will be in FDA officers going to field to check the adulteration in foods. There is a provision of informers’ system in Food Safety Act, we will deliberate over implementing it. We will have to keep some budget provision of it, he said.

FDA faces staff shortage again

Out of 160 posts of drug inspectors across Maharashtra, only 90 have been filled so far and of the 250 food safety officer posts, only 180 have been filled

Despite vacancies being filled to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) posts just five years back, the department continues to face a staff shortage.

Out of 160 posts of drug inspectors across Maharashtra, only 90 have been filled so far and of the 250 food safety officer posts, only 180 have been filled.

In Pune, the post of joint commissioner-drugs has been lying vacant for the last nine months. Out of 15 posts of drug inspectors, only nine have been filled so far. While there is a requirement of 34 food safety officers, Pune has 16 food safety officers and they are assisted by 10 others from the Pune Municipal Corporation. Five years ago, a total of 61 posts of food and drug inspectors were filled with 13 appointed in Pune division and four in Pune district.

While the staff crunch persists, several have to make do without official vehicles. At Pune, there is just one vehicle that is shared by both food safety officers and drug inspectors while in Sangli, there is no official vehicle for the FDA officer who is assisting the police investigations in the sex determination and abortion racket.

Highly-placed FDA officials pointed out that these were Class II officers. However, the drug inspectors and food safety officers have no assistance from clerical staff as there are very few who have been appointed. Drug inspectors may inspect medical shops, check records and carry out inspections but there is very little assistance in terms of filing data entry to registering cases, issuing show cause notices and then follow up each case in the court, FDA officials said.

Across the state, there are more than 50,000 pharmacies, 15,000 wholesalers and another 8,000 manufacturing units. FDA officials admitted that some works get delayed. For instance, online applications from persons wanting to set up a medical store and such cases have to be kept on hold as they have to visit the site and send the inspection report to the assistant commissioner.

FDA officials said officers had previously been recruited to various posts in 1997. Owing to staff shortage, the FDA could only play a limited role and partly fulfil several requirements to enforce several Acts such as nabbing offenders for smoking in public places.

The FDA had to fill up the posts as some public interest litigations were filed, sources said. When contacted Dr Harshadeep Kamble, Commissioner, FDA told The Indian Express that there was a staff shortage. “The MPSC has conducted exams and held interviews and we expect vacancies to be filled soon,” Kamble said.

Milk adulterators under the scanner

Congress member P Sudhakar Reddy demanded increase in the number of cold storage facilities for milk starting from the transportation from villages.

Hyderabad: The State government would soon bring a stringent Act to punish people who resort to adulteration of milk, Minister for Medical and Health C Laxma Reddy said on Saturday.

Replying to the question raised by TRS members P Rajeshwar Reddy and Professor Srinivas Reddy in the Council, the Minister said Indian Food Safety and Security Act, 2006, was lopsided and we have asked the Central government to bring in amendments to the existing one besides the State government’s new Act.

Laxma Reddy said so far 16 milk samples had tested positive in various parts of the State and cases were booked against those indulging in the malpractice. New technology-enabled equipment would soon come to the State to check more milk samples in a short span of time, the Minister said adding that the government, to meet the present demand, was encouraging the dairy sector through incentives to dairy farmers.

Congress member P Sudhakar Reddy demanded increase in the number of cold storage facilities for milk starting from the transportation from villages. He also urged the government to take precautionary steps to curb adulteration of all commodities in the State.

Consumers want ecommerce sites to display manufacturing and expiry dates on packaged food: Survey

Out of the approximately 10,000 consumers who voted, 96 per cent answered in a yes, with only 2 per cent, saying it should not be done and 2 per cent choosing not to answer.

The display of manufacturing and expiry dates as well as the MRP, LocalCircles said, will help the consumer as well as increase consumer trust in the eCommerce channel.

Vadodara Municipal Corporation officials dispose water pouches

VADODARA: Food safety officers of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) checked 10 units supplying packaged drinking water in the city on Saturday. The teams disposed 28,500 water pouches at these units.

The drive to check such units has been started in wake of the fact that packaged water is in high demand during summer. The water pouches were disposed of by the officials as they did not have expiry dates printed on them clearly. The units were also issued notices as they were not maintaining hygienic conditions. The units that were checked on Saturday were located at Gorwa, Tandalja, Makarpura GIDC and Kishanwadi. A similar drive was conducted by the officials on Thursday.

Mar 23, 2017

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Mar 18, 2017