May 4, 2017
Gutka ban case: Delhi HC raps authorities for not banning tobacco chewing
May 11 fixed as the next date of hearing
Why should chewing of tobacco not be banned as such a step would end the problem posed by 'gutka' and 'pan masala', the Delhi High Court asked on Wednesday.
The court asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) whether such a step has been taken by the Centre or any of the state governments.
While 'gutka' is a mild stimulant made of areca nut, tobacco and other intoxicants, 'pan masala' is a mixture of betel leaf with lime, areca nut and other items.
"Have you considered banning it? If you say that chewing tobacco is per se harmful, has anyone banned it? You know, if you (authorities) ban it the whole problem would be over," Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said.
The FSSAI, represented by advocate M Pracha, said there was no need to separately ban chewing of tobacco as the notifications banning 'gutka' covers this aspect as well.
However, the ban is not being enforced or implemented, the lawyer said.
The court, on the other hand, observed that the notification only appeared to ban mixing of chewing tobacco with any eatable item or 'pan masala' and banned 'gutka'.
The FSSAI did not agree with the observation and said that as chewing tobacco is an "unsafe food", its sale would attract penal provisions.
The court was hearing an application moved by a tobacco manufacturing company seeking to amend its main petition challenging the notification banning 'gutka'.
The company wanted to amend its main plea to also challenge the 2017 notification banning 'gutka' as the Delhi government comes out with such orders every year.
The court issued notice to the Delhi government and FSSAI seeking their replies to the plea before the next date of hearing in the main petition on May 11.
HC: Why not ban chewing tobacco?
HC asked the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for its stand on the issue and also wished to know if such a step had been taken by the Centre or any state government. While 'gutka' is a mild stimulant made of areca nut, tobacco and other intoxicants, 'pan masala' is a mixture of betel leaf with lime, areca nut and other items.
"Have you considered banning it? If you say that chewing tobacco is per se harmful, has anyone banned it? You know, if you (authorities) ban it the whole problem would be over," Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva said.
The FSSAI submitted there is no need to separately ban chewing of tobacco as the notifications banning 'gutka' covers this aspect as well. However, the ban is not being implemented, the lawyer informed the court.
The court was hearing an application moved by a tobacco manufacturing company seeking to amend its main petition challenging the notification banning 'gutka'. The court issued notice to the Delhi government and FSSAI seeking their replies before the next date of hearing in the main petition on May 11.
Despite ban, chewing tobacco sales continue briskly
Many small shops across the city sell gutkha and other tobacco products (See pix).
The government filed an affidavit stating that it would enforce the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation, 2011, section 2.3.4 of which states that "tobacco and nicotine shall not be used as ingredients in any food product" and Shalini Rajneesh, principal secretary, department of health and family welfare, sought six weeks to work towards it. However, a legal notice filed by the Cancer Patients' Aid Association last month claims a "deliberate and intentional act or reckless failure" of health officials in allowing the public access to chewing tobacco.
Shalini maintains that raids continue on shops and stores selling chewing tobacco in its various forms, like gutkha, pan masala etc. "A ban on the manufacture of chewing tobacco cannot be enforced," she said.
Subodh Yadav, state food safety commissioner, said that tobacco units had been permitted under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), which empowers them to manufacture tobacco under certain terms and conditions -- such as the display of health warnings on packets, prohibiting their sale less than 100 metres from educational institutions and to minors, and so on, and all companies fall under the ambit of the Act.
"As and when these terms and conditions are violated, the authorities can step in and take action as per COTPA. This Act predates the Food Safety regulation, which is not a pure Act but regulates the presence of tobacco and nicotine in food items -- in this context, anything that is consumed orally,'' he said.
But Dr Vishal Rao, oral oncologist and member of a high-powered committee (HPC) formed two years ago under the chief secretary to advise on tobacco use, said that chewing tobacco should have been banned by the same Act in 2011.
"Anything that is orally ingested constitutes food. By section 2.3.4 of the food safety rules, since chewing tobacco is put into the mouth and consumed, it immediately becomes food. However, over time, various methods were used to manipulate this definition to continue to sell the product. They even started selling it separately, instead of adding tobacco to food (flavoured additives like pan masala), allowing users to buy sachets and mix as they wished," he said.
Dr Rao added that of the approximately 19 departments that came under the HPC, the health lobby was the weakest, with departments like finance, tax, excise and agriculture taking precedence.
Yadav added that the Food Safety regulation was technically weaker than COTPA and section 2.3.4 talked about mixing 'food items' with tobacco, which isn't happening anymore as companies ensure they are sold separately.
"The authority can act as long as these components are mixed. Despite that, we have gone into overdrive and beyond the SC directive by taking action against manufacturers also. We have the power to issue notices, seize samples, send them for tests and file cases but not to shut down manufacturing units," he said.
'We cannot stop consumption'
All individuals are responsible for their own health. A consumer makes an informed choice to consume something. How can I come into the picture and stop somebody? As an authority, we have segregated tobacco from food by ensuring that they are sold separately, but people are buying, mixing and consuming tobacco. Beyond that, what can we do?
Subodh Yadav | Karnataka food safety commissioner
ACTION TAKEN REPORT
(As on May 3, 2017)
20,909 Inspections/ raids
1,261 Samples taken
26,27,308 Sachets seized
46,840 Pouches seized
Rs 2,01,530 Recovered in penalties
68 Cases filed (ADC court)
2,569 Notices issued
(Source: Office of Food Safety and Standard Act, Public Health Institute, Bengaluru)
Seized tobacco sachets pile up in godowns
Srinivas Gowda, food safety joint director, said that cases were booked under the Food Safety Act as well as the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA).
"The cases are filed in the respective district courts. Until the cases are resolved in courts, the confiscated samples are kept in the custody of courts, after which there are some specific methods through which they are destroyed so that they don't recirculate," he said.
As per last year's circular, the nodal officer for the district, along with food safety officers, are to implement the ban under powers conferred by the FSSA under sections 59 and 66.
"Section 59 which is on punishment for unsafe food, has four provisions. The most stringent punishment under this is life imprisonment, with a fine of Rs 5-10 lakh. The minimum is six months' imprisonment with a fine of Rs 1 lakh. Under Section 66, which penalizes offences by companies, the fine is Rs 1 lakh," Gowda said.
By comparison, COTPA carries a lighter punishment. According to a consultant with the state anti-tobacco cell which is responsible for enforcement and imposing fines under COTPA, there are 33 sections under which a person may be charged.
"When it comes to chewing tobacco, if the person operating the point of sale exhibits the products in his shop, he is charged under easy accessibility to minors under Section 6(a) which carries a fine of Rs 200 per violation. If there is an advertisement, he can be charged Rs 2,000 and it carries a 1-2 year prison term as well, under section 5. However, there is no section that charges the shop owner for selling to an adult," he said, adding that sections 5 and 7 of COTPA were non-compoundable, which means that after booking the case, it had to go on trial to decide the punishment.
300 eateries running in Gurugram without licence
GURUGRAM: The department of food safety has decided to launch an extensive drive to crack down on restaurants, hotels and shops selling edibles without any licence in the city.
A rough estimate suggests that there are at least 300 eateries — mainly bakeries, sweet shops, street vendors, tea stalls and such other small outlets that common people visit frequently — across Gurgaon are running without licence.
During the crackdown, which is likely to kick off later this month, officials will inspect all shops and restaurants to check the quality of food or beverages served. Also, officials will check if outlets have registered themselves with the department and whether they have validity licences. Shops found without a valid licence will be sealed and a case will be registered against their owners.
"We will carry out random inspections of shops and collect food samples. Also, we will check their registration and licence details. Owners will be prosecuted in case of any violation," said Dr KK Sharma, the food safety officer, Gurgaon.
In 2014, the department had directed owners of all hotels, restaurants and shops selling eatables to registered themselves under the Food and Safety Act 2006 and obtain licences from the authorities. The department has extended the deadlines to apply for the licence six times in the past three years, yet many eatery owners failed to abide by the order.
Respond to petition on poor food on trains: HC to Centre
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gital Mittal and Justice Anu Malhotra issued a notice to the Railway Ministry, asking it to ensure that Food Safety and Standards Act regulations were met.
It said the quality of food served on trains and at railway platforms had to be monitored.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by Sardar Jagjit Singh, a retired food inspector with the Railways, who said urgent measures were required to guarantee safe food in restaurants, food plazas, staff canteens and other cooking units run by the railways.
The petitioners counsel K C Mittal, while submitting that 23 million people travelled by train in the country every day, focused on the sale and supply of adulterated food in the Indian Railways.
The lawyer had earlier submitted to the court a CD containing a news report from a television channel on the subject.
"The worst is the insensitivity and the failure on the part of the respondents to take adequate steps to ensure sale and supply of unadulterated, wholesome and hygienic food to 23 million passengers who travel everyday by train (24X7) in different parts of the country," it said.
The petition said food quality should be monitored on passenger and goods trains, pantry cars, other food outlets in railway areas operated by private contractors, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC) and food plazas, including unauthorised vendors and canteens run by the railways.
The bench has now fixed May 16 for a hearing on the matter.
Now, a drive against unlicensed food shops in Gurugram
GURUGRAM: In a bid to curb the sale of substandard and adulterated food, a checking drive will be conducted by the department of food safety in the district. The officials will focus on shops that are being run without a license from the department.
Sources reveal that in 2014, the department had issued orders that all shops and restaurants cooking, serving and selling eatables must obtain a license from the authorities. Under the Food and Safety Act 2006, it is mandatory for all hotels, restaurants, dhabas, canteens and even the street cafes vendors to be registered with the authorities, following which a license is issued to them. Since then only 2,506 licenses have been issued till date. Notably, the department has even extended the deadlines to apply for the licenses six times in past three years.
A senior official from the department told TOI that there are at least 300 shops and restaurants across Gurugram which still do not license to cook and serve food and beverages. Such places include bakeries, sweet shops, street cafes, tea stalls etc. too. The drive will begin at the end of this month, under which all the shops and restaurants will be checked for the quality of food sold or served at any of these places. At the same time, the officials will check registration and validity of the license. Those found without a valid license, will be penalized, the shops will be sealed till further action and a case will be registered against the owner.
"From now on we will randomly visits the shops and collect the food samples. At the same time, we will also check the registration and license of the place. In case of not having a valid license, a prosecution will be launched against the owner," said Dr KK Sharma, food safety officer, Gurugram.
Keep strict tabs on bottled water manufacturing units, DC tells officials
MANGALURU: Deputy Commissioner K G Jagadeesha on Wednesday directed officials concerned to ensure continuous inspection of food preparation units across Dakshina Kannada district for effective implementation of Food Safety and Standards Act. The food safety inspectors must specifically pay due attention to bottled water manufacturing units, collect samples periodically, get is tested in the laboratories and ensure that it is fit for human use, DC said.
Chairing a meeting of district level committee under the act, DC said there are 16 bottled water manufacturing units in Dakshina Kannada. Each such units must mandatorily obtain a permission from Indian Standard Institute (ISI) to carry out their activities. Urban local bodies or panchayathi raj bodies are not entitled to issue license to such units in their jurisdiction if they do not ISI license and such licenses must be revoked forthwith if they have issued one.
A detailed note will be issue to all urban local bodies and gram panchayats in this regard shortly, DC said while directing officials to crack down on all illegal water bottling units functioning in the district. Expressing displeasure that periodic inspection of such water bottling units is not happening on a regular basis, Jagadeesha directed the nodal officer under the Act to carry out the same and provide inspection reports to his office in proof of compliance.
Observing there are complaints of chemical adulteration of food sold on roadside eateries, fast food hotels, DC directed the officials to keep a watch out on such food joints as well. He advised people not to use foods served in such joints that are rich in colour for they could be adulterated. Likewise, the authorities concerned must run public awareness campaigns to educate people about the ill-effects of consuming such adulterated food on their health, he noted.
Averring that there are complaints about artificial ripening of fruits using chemicals, he directed the officials to inspect wholesale fruit godowns and wholesale fruit merchants for such instances. Action should be initiated against anyone found guilty of use of chemicals on fruits for pecuniary gains, he said while advising officials to also inspect lorries that bring fruits from outside the state and ensure that there is no chemical adulteration of fruits at source.
Food sales by weight: HC notice to govt
Ahmedabad: Gujarat high court on Wednesday issued notice to the state government and the Controller of Legal Metrology and Director of Consumer Affairs in response to a PIL seeking directions to hotels and restaurants to serve foodon basis of weight, and not per plate or dish.
The petitioner made an interesting argument, claiming that pizzas should not be sold according to diameter size, but the producer must furnish information about the weight of the pizza and charge accordingly.
A Vadodara-based NGO - Gujarat Khedut Hit Rakshak Samiti filed the PIL demanding strict implementation of the Standard of Weight and Measurement Act. It has urged that hotels and restaurants be made to serve food and beverage in standard measure of 100 gram and 100 ml, and charge customers accordingly.
The petitioner has demanded stopping the practice of charging and serving food per dish or plate, which is not mentioned in any law.
The petitioner stated that all hotels and restaurants serve food per dish and the price mentioned is also per dish, which is not a base unit of sale according to law.
There is no mention of dish or plate as a unit of measurement in law argued the petitioner. How would a consumer know about the quantity of food that is going to be served in one dish, asked the petitioner, adding that price is also fixed per dish and this is against the interest of consumers.
The PIL has stated that serving food per dish is a gross violation of Consumer Protection Act. The government is bound to implement the Standard of Weight and Measurement Act because the present practice in the hotel industry is unfair. While a shopkeeper sells food items to customers in weight, why should there be another yardstick for hotels and restaurants in serving food.
The petitioner told the HC that representations in this regard was made in 2015 bringing to their notice that the base unit of mass is kilogram and hotels and restaurants are legally bound to serve food in gram and litre, but the authorities did not respond.
The court has sought reply from the authorities by June 28.
May 3, 2017
Telangana: Water, oil packets fail in quality
Water packets, sourced from bus and railway stations, and shops, were found to be unsafe to drink.
Hyderabad: Random quality tests carried out by the food controller for oil and water packets in the city show that they are of substandard quality. Over 500 samples of oil and water packets, which were randomly picked from Hyderabad and other districts in the state, were fou-nd to be failing in quality. Vegetable oils which were picked up from the market and also supermarkets were tested. However, the quality of the product was found to be substandard.
Officials have sent a report on the tests to Food Safety Standard Authority of India. “These are branded products and hence the reports of its inferior quality have been sent to the head office, which will take up the matter with the manufacturers,” said a senior food inspector on condition of anonymity. He said they have also found counterfeit products under the same brand and the issue was taken up with the concerned people.
“For packaged drinking water, it was found that the product was misbranded and was of substandard quality, which was unsafe to drink. The samples were randomly picked up at bus stations, railway stations, malls and big markets in the state to assess the quality,” the official said.
After amla juice fails test, Ramdev’s Patanjali comes up with ‘chamatkari’ wheat seed, chilli
Patanjali that started in 2006 to sell traditional Ayurvedic potions has expanded into personal care, home products, cosmetic creams, noodles, and more in last few years.
Patanjali Ayurveda, the Haridwar-based Ayurveda firm promoted by yoga guru Ramdev, has developed a new variety of wheat seed and chilly in a bid to shore up its image after a couple of its products, including amla juice, failed to clear a laboratory test.
Patanjali, which made Rs 5,000 crore in revenue in 2015-16, and is eying Rs 1 trillion in the next one decade, has come up with a sprawling 10-acre research centre in Haridwar. The Patanjali Research Institute that was opened with an initial investment of Rs 200 crore will focus on inventing ‘result orientated’ Ayurveda medicines.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate the centre during his Uttarakhand visit on Wednesday.
The yoga guru has claimed researchers have developed a new variety of wheat seed that can fetch up to 28 quintals in one acre of land and also a home-grown chilly that can fetch up to 47 quintals in an acre.
“Patanjali agro scientists have developed advanced variety of high yielding wheat grain (named Patanjali Chamatkar) without using chemicals (sic),” Ramdev tweeted.
“Patanjali agro scientists have proved time and again that, high yielding and high quality produce can be obtained without chemicals (sic)” he added.
Patanjali Chamatkar or miracle got a much-needed fillip from Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh who said it was an excellent use of ‘swadeshi’.
Patanjali that started in 2006 to sell traditional Ayurvedic potions has expanded into personal care, home products, cosmetic creams, noodles, and more in last few years. It sells everything from detergent to cornflakes and hair oil under its own name.
A person privy to the developments in the firm said Ramdev intends to focus on two core areas – Ayurveda and agro business. Ramdev is focusing on strengthening the research wing of the company in a bid to revamp its brand image, which has taken a beating in the last one year.
Many of its products have been getting “adverse feedback” from consumers and retailers, prompting the company to form two internal committees earlier this year to address the problem. The company also faced the ire of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for ‘misbranding’.
Last month, Canteen Stores Department (CSD), the retailing entity selling consumer goods to the armed forces, suspended the sale of a batch of Patanjali’s amla juice after it failed” the test carried out at West Bengal Public Health Laboratory in Kolkata. Defence ministry sources said a show cause notice has been served on the company.
The Ayurveda firm, however, blamed a department of the Uttarakhand government for the fiasco.
Nine packaged drinking water units shut down in Mysuru
Four other units that were in the process of getting licences were asked to stop production and sale till they obtained certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards.
As many as nine packaged drinking water units which were functioning without possessing mandatory ISI certification in Mysuru district have been closed down. Four other units, which had applied for ISI certification and were in the process of getting them, were asked to stop production and sale of their products until they obtained certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
S. Chidambar, designated officer for Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and district vector-borne diseases officer, and other officials conducted an enforcement search a few days ago and found that nine units were functioning without the ISI certification.
Licences mandatory
Disclosing this to The Hindu, Dr. Chidambar said that apart from functioning illegally, the units were not following prescribed procedure in preparing good quality packaged drinking water.
The owners of the units were asked to close down their units and were warned of dire consequences if they attempted to re-open the same in the future, he said. He cautioned that action would be initiated against the units under Section 33 of Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986, if they were found indulging in carrying out their businesses illegally.
Licences from BIS and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) are prerequisites to run a packaged drinking water plant, he said.
Laboratory tests
Dr. Chidambar said that apart from having treatment machinery like reverse osmosis units, carbon filters and sand filters, the plants must have also laboratories that are extremely important to check the potability of water after processing. The owners of the plant should conduct tests of each batch of processed water in their laboratories and in other laboratories too at regular intervals, he said.
Health hazard
A spurt in the demand for processed drinking water has resulted in proliferation of packaged drinking water plants. The plants were set up by individuals to make easy money. Substandard quality of water manufactured by such units may pose a grave threat to people’s health, Dr. Chidambar said.
Dr. Chidambar said that borewell water is the only water that should be used for manufacturing packaged drinking water, and river water, open well water or water supplied by civic bodies should not be used for this purpose. He also appealed to the people not to buy packaged drinking water unless they find the ISI certification and FSSAI number.
He instructed hotels, bakeries, bars and restaurants not to sell packaged drinking water without ISI certifications and FSSAI numbers. There are other 32 manufacturing units functioning in Mysuru district with certification from BIS, he said.
Powering up food
Augmenting foods with nutrients can improve overall health, but it must be regulated
Since a diversified diet that meets all nutritional requirements is difficult to provide, fortification of food is relied upon by many countries to prevent malnutrition. The World Health Organisation estimates that deficiency of key micronutrients such as iron, vitamin A and iodine together affects a third of the world’s population; in general, insufficient consumption of vitamins and minerals remains problematic. Viewed against the nutrition challenge India faces, processed foods with standards-based fortification can help advance overall health goals, starting with maternal health. It is imperative, for a start, to make iron-fortified food widely available, since iron deficiency contributes to 20% of maternal deaths and is associated with nearly half of all maternal deaths. The shadow of malnutrition extends to the children that women with anaemia give birth to. They often have low birth weight, are pre-term, and suffer from poor development and lower cognitive abilities. Low intake of vitamins, zinc and folate also causes a variety of health issues, particularly when growing children are deprived. Fortification is a low-cost solution. The benefit is maximised when there is a focus also on adequate intake of oils and fats, which are necessary for the absorption of micronutrients and something poorer households often miss in their diet.
The efficacy of the fortification standards introduced by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will depend on enforcement. It is important to ensure that all sections of producers meet the norms, since the FSSAI plans to get local flour mills to add premixed nutrients. Making affordable, good quality fortified foods widely available is the key. Only such standardised processes can provide micronutrients to women, and in turn to breastfed children in the first six months after birth. A well-functioning public distribution system is the best channel to reach precisely those sections that need fortified food the most. In the case of children, recent studies show that adding zinc to food during the six months to 12 years growth period reduced the risk of death from infectious diseases and all causes put together. Fortified food, therefore, provides near to medium-term gains, and addresses micronutrient malnutrition concerns at the population level. Yet, as the WHO points out, in the long term, public health goals on prevention and elimination of nutritional deficiencies should aim at encouraging people to adopt a diversified and wholesome diet. Children, including those in school, should get a wholesome cooked meal that is naturally rich, and augmented with vegetables, fruits, dairy and other foods of choice. Fortified foods can help fill the gaps, particularly in areas that are in need of speedy remedial nutrition. It is also vital that food regulation views the issue of affordability as a central concern, because unaffordable fortified food would defeat the very purpose of fortification.
Food safety enforcement wing conducted drive
Imphal, May 02 2017: Food safety enforcement wing conducted a surprise drive at various shops in Masjid Road and Thangal Bazar area, today.
Th Sunilkumar, Designated officer of Food Safety and Administration who took part in the drive said that despite the edible items which may cause throat diseases to the children were ban earlier were found to be still available in today's drive.
The ban items have been seized today.
Th Sunilkumar also said actions will be taken up under the food safety and standard act 2006, if shopkeepers are found violating the rules.
In the past the drive could not be held regularly due to the lack of manpower in the department but now the department has the adequate manpower and the drive will be conducted regularly in all valley districts.
Sunilkumar appeals to the public and CSO's to extend all possible support to stop the people running shops without the FSSAI license.
The drive was conducted by a combine team of enforcement wing of Imphal East and West, Thoubal and Bishnupur District under the supervision of food safety Commissioner, P.K Singh.
During the drive edible items being sold without license were seize and some of the shopkeepers pulls their shutter down on hearing the news of the surprise drive.
The shops have been seal by the enforcement wing.
Most of the shopkeepers were found selling of edible items without the norms of food safety and standard authority of India (FSSAI) license.
The combine team also found many imported items from Myanmar without expiry date stickers, stickers with Myanmar language and twice printed stickers with manufacturing date.
NDDB’s CALF gets recognition from BIS
Currently, CALF is the only laboratory in the country to receive this recognition from BIS
Vadodara/ Anand: The Centre for Analysis and Learning in Livestock and Food (CALF) run by Anand-headquartered National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has been recognized by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for undertaking analysis of various milk and milk products.
CALF has received accreditation to undertake analysis of packaged pasteurized milk, flavoured milk, sterilized milk, condensed milk, milk powder, cheese, shrikhand, paneer, skimmed milk powder (grade I and grade II), pasteurized butter, butter oil, ghee, curd, yoghurt and ice-cream.
Currently, CALF is the only laboratory in the country to receive this recognition from BIS. "This recognition would go a long way in supporting the dairy industry's commitment to maintain standards and provide safe and good quality milk and milk products to consumers," a release issued by NDDB said on Tuesday.
"Testing system will further strengthen the dairy industry to ensure that milk and milk products sold in the market conform to the regulatory requirements," it further said.
CALF is a multi-disciplinary analytical laboratory of NDDB. CALF offers a range of analytical services in the field of dairy products, food, fruit and vegetables, water, feed and animal genetics at an affordable cost. Last year, it has tested around 35,000 samples.
CALF is accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) covering chemical, microbiological and genetics scope of testing. It is also a notified referral laboratory for Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for milk and milk products.
May 2, 2017
Indian are now alert to dangers of high salt intake and are modifying their diet
According to a new study, Indians are actively trying to reduce their daily salt consumption, far more than Australians and others.
Cutting down involves adding less salt during cooking and on the table.
Indians, aware of the dangers of excessive salt intake, are modifying their diets unlike other international communities like Australians who are sticking to high-salt foods though they are aware of its effects, according to a new study.
Populations in 181 of 187 nations consume more than the WHO-recommended daily upper limit of 5 gm of salt. Indians consume nine % more salt than the global average -- 10.06 gm.
Claire Johnson, a research fellow with The George Institute for Global Health, Australia, led an India-centric study on salt intake in February this year. It included a cross-section of 1,395 respondents across India -- educated and uneducated, urban and rural, male and female, and of different ages averaging 40 years.
Nine of 10 respondents said they were aware that a diet high in salt is bad for their health. When asked the question: ‘How important to you is lowering salt in your diet?’ as many answered affirmatively. Not just that, participants actually acted upon this knowledge, lowering their salt intake.
Every measure to cut down on salt will benefit Indians.
For instance, 98% participants reported using spices other than salt, 61% said they avoided eating out and 52% maintained that they avoided processed foods.
This implies that greater awareness about the health risks of excessive salt intake could benefit Indians significantly because they are open to lifestyle changes.
Every measure to cut down on salt will benefit Indians, said Johnson. ‘By lowering your salt consumption by 1 gm, you lower your heart attack and stroke risk by 4.8%. And the more you cut down, the more you gain.’
One in four Indians living in villages and one in three in its cities suffers from hypertension, or high blood pressure. The control of hypertension requires a reduction in salt intake because too much sodium constricts arteries, thus raising blood pressure, and impairs kidney function, leading to extra fluid and extra strain on the associated blood vessels.
The average Indian consumes 10.98 gm salt a day.
Hypertension is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease. Thus the impact of excessive salt intake on the health of the average Indian is clear: One in four Indians succumbed to cardiovascular disease in 2012.
India’s health gains could be ‘enormous’, Johnson told IndiaSpend, if we could cut our average salt/sodium intake by 30%. This would meet one of nine WHO targets to cut premature deaths caused by four major non-communicable diseases. It would also cut the risk of Indians dying by heart attack or stroke by about 15%.
The average Indian consumes 10.98 gm salt a day, according to an earlier Johnson-led study. This is over twice the WHO-recommended upper limit per day, 5 gm, which is just under a teaspoon, and seven times what the body actually needs.
There is a widespread belief in India that in warm weather when the body sweats and loses salt it is imperative to consume more salt. Johnson refutes it. ‘Irrespective of the weather, physiologically, humans need just one-quarter teaspoon of salt: 1-2 grams which equals 500 mg of sodium daily,’ said Johnson.
Indians are eating less pulses, fruits and vegetables and lots more processed and fast foods.
About 10% of the daily salt intake of an Indian occurs naturally in fruit, vegetables, cereal and other raw ingredients, said Johnson. The rest is added during cooking or at the table.
So, cutting down involves adding less salt during cooking and on the table. Both are more doable than making the major dietary changes implicated in controlling salt-intake in the West, where the excess consumption generally comes from salt added to processed foods such as pasta sauces.
India has seen great dietary changes in the last 30 years, noted Johnson. ‘Indians are eating less pulses, fruits and vegetables and lots more processed and fast foods, and as a result, their diets now include excess salt, sugars and harmful fats,’ she said. ‘These are driving up rates of high blood pressure, obesity and cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack and stroke.’
Currently it is impossible to reckon how much salt you are getting from packaged foods in India. Consider:
(a). 1 in 4 products fail to meet the (so far, voluntary) nutrition information labelling guidelines of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, and
(b). 2 in 3 products do not list salt on the nutrition information panel and fail International Codex Alimentarius requirements, a collection of standards, guidelines and codes of practice aiming at protecting consumer health and promoting fair practices in the food business.
This may change soon. New Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSAI) labelling regulations for all packaged foods are on the anvil.
‘Our new guidelines, which should come into effect in a few months, will make it mandatory for packaged food labels to list their salt/sodium (and other nutrients) content, in total and against the recommended daily value,’ Pawan Kumar Agarwal, CEO of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, told IndiaSpend.
In the mid-1950s, urban India reported a hypertension prevalence of 1.2 to 4.0% based on the WHO blood pressure diagnosis guidelines then in vogue -- diastolic blood pressure exceeding 95 mmHg, a systolic reading exceeding 160 mmHg.
The prevalence increased to 5% in the 1960s, then to 12 to 15% in the 1990s. Today, about 33% of urban Indians are hypertensive based on revised WHO guidelines-diastolic blood pressure exceeding 90 mmHg, and a systolic reading exceeding 140 mmHg.
Hypertension is a silent killer with few symptoms such as headaches, shortness of breath or nosebleeds, according to Mayo Clinic. In general, hypertension causes so few symptoms that by the time it becomes obvious, the body could have suffered irreparable damage.
Physicians quoted the rule of 50 to explain poor hypertension control, which means: 50% of the hypertensive population is unaware of their condition. Of those who know, only 50% are on appropriate treatment and 50% of those have their hypertension in check.
Low awareness about hypertension is a bigger problem in rural India than in urban settlements,’ according to Jugal Kishore, Director, professor and head, Community Medicine at Vardhman Mahavir Medical College, New Delhi, based on the findings of his 2016 study Prevalence of Hypertension and Determination of Its Risk Factors in Rural Delhi.
Cost of treatment is also an issue, said Kishore, as only about 30% Indians avail free health services from the public sector. ‘Also, the less privileged are intimidated by big hospitals, and the investigations involved in diagnosing a chronic problem, so they tend to ignore symptoms.’
lso, blood pressure medication is typically prescribed for a lifetime, which can be hard to accept.
Fortified foods to tackle malnutrition
Targeting children, the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh governments have begun using fortified oil for their mid-day meal schemes.
MNCs, co-ops, other manufacturers will add premixes of micronutrients to products
Malnutrition isn’t just about acute starvation. Often, healthy-looking people are malnourished too, because their diet does not include the right micronutrients. In severe forms, such deficiencies can have serious effects. For instance, iron deficiency leads to critical problems during pregnancy, and not enough Vitamin A can lead to poor vision, infections, and skin problems.
To tackle the issue, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) released a set of standards and a logo last year. Since then, it has focussed on awareness- and consensus-building. Now, a number of enterprises will begin adding premixes of micronutrients to launch fortified foods. Smita Mankad, head of the FSSAI’s Food Fortification Resource Centre, told The Hindu that in the next few months, General Mills India, ITC, Hindustan Unilever and Patanjali will launch wheat flour, Adani Wilmar, Marico, Borges India, and Kaleesuwari Refineries are working on oil, LT Foods, DCP Food, and KKR Food are launching rices, and in salt, other brands will join Tata, which already has a double fortified brand in the market.
Milk cooperatives in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Assam and Maharashtra will fortify their products too. Targeting children, the Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh governments have begun using fortified oil for their mid-day meal schemes. West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands are now distributing fortified wheat flour through the public distribution system, and the Maharashtra government has started a pilot project.
The FSSAI is also working with small local suppliers, for instance local flour grinding mills, to get them to add premixed micronutrients. “The next level of awarenesses will be among consumers to opt for fortified staples,” Ms. Mankad said. The FSSAI has decided not to interfere in pricing.
Govt imposes heavy penalty on companies for substandard milk, spices
Srinagar: State government Monday imposed a penalty of Rs 2.1 lakh on 10 food operators for manufacturing and selling adulterated and substandard products to consumers.
According to officials, a fine was imposed by the Court of Adjudicating Officer on these 10 food business units including milk processing firm for selling and manufacturing substandard food items.
“The Additional Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar, Vikas Kundal imposed a fine of Rs 2.1 lakh on 10 Food Business Operators for manufacturing and selling substandard food items which include one milk processing and two spices manufacturing units besides some mobile milk vendors,” they said.
Official sources told Rising Kashmir that the products which were found impure and adulterated include a famous milk brand 'Snow and two spice brands, Kesar and Shafat Spices manufactured at Khunmoh Industrial Estate beside some mobile milk vendors.
A penalty of Rs 80000 was levied on the manufacturers of Snow Cap milk brand, which is a popular milk brand in J&K is run by a government supported cooperative, Jammu and Kashmir Milk Producers Cooperative Limited (JKMPCL) situated at Cheshma Shahi. “The Snow Cap's milk processing unit was levied with a fine of Rs 80000 for selling impure milk to consumers while the each spice manufacturing units was fined with Rs 25000,” officials said.
The Food Safety Department also warned the food business operators to desist from the malpractice of food adulteration
“Stern action under food safety and standards act shall be initiated against them,” they said.
The samples of milk and spices were taken from these business establishments and sent for the testing following which they were found to be adulterated, an official said.
A fine has been imposed on the ten business units the Food Safety and Standard Act. (muhassan@risingkashmir.com)
May 1, 2017
Apr 30, 2017
Call to put an end to adulteration in sago
A forceful appeal to put an end to adulteration in the production of sago, in the interest of protecting tapioca farmers, was made at the farmers’ grievances redress day meeting held here on Friday.
District Collector M. Asia Mariam presided over the meeting.
K. Sundaram, general secretary, Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam, alleged that a few manufacturers were adulterating sago with maize flour. While a 90 kg bag of sago fetches a price between Rs. 5,500 and Rs. 6,000; the price of maize flour ranges between Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 2,000 per bag.
While the manufacturers by adopting this illegal practice manage to make good profit, it leads to steep fall in its price.
Mr. Sundaram said that the sago manufactured in the district is transported to Gujarat and Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu manufacturers faced the danger of losing the business, if the trading community of these States come to know about the poor quality of sago due to adulteration.
He urged the Food Safety and Drug Administration Department officials to initiate stringent action against the sago manufacturers indulging in adulteration.
Ms. Asia Mariam warned that stringent action will be taken against people who involved in adulteration. The food safety department officials will conduct regular check of sago manufacturing units, she added.
‘Revive open wells’
Farmers belonging to various associations urged the district administration to take steps for sanctioning financial assistance for rehabilitation of open farm wells. Many farm wells were in a poor shape due to improper maintenance, they said and demanded financial assistance for strengthening the retention walls.
Some of the farmers representatives alleged that the officials of primary agricultural cooperative banks were forcing the hapless farmers to procure poor quality fertilizers stocked with them. These officials are also sanctioning loans only for certain crops, they said and urged the district administration to direct the cooperative societies to sanction loans to all varieties of crops raised by the farmers.
Ms. Asia Mariam assured that steps will be taken to ensure that farm loans were sanctioned only to crops that have been raised by the farmers. The cooperative societies will also be directed to procure and distribute good quality fertilizers.
Turmeric farmers alleged that the price of turmeric crop raised by the farmers of the district has suffered a steep fall due to the arrival of the same in huge quantity from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
They demanded the State government to slap a ban on the arrival of raw turmeric from other States.
When farmers raised the issue of permission for lifting silt from the dry bed of the water bodies, the Collector said that 10 dry lakes have been identified in the district for this purpose and permission will be accorded to the farmers soon.
WARNING: Energy drinks worse, more dangerous than caffeine, says study!
Energy drinks have always been a subject of deep debate over its health properties. Those who indulge in it, swear by its 'healthier' properties compared to sodas and other caffeinated drinks.
However, a new study has completely negated this belief saying that energy drinks are worse than caffeine itself.
Elaborating on its findings, the study says that energy drinks can have a greater impact on health than caffeine consumption by other means.
Researchers discovered that ingesting about a litre of any commercially-available energy drink caused abnormal changes in blood pressure and heart rate of the study's participants. These changes were apparently missing when volunteers consumed a control drink that contained the same amount of caffeine.
Each energy drink available commercially is packed with 108 grams of sugar and 320 mg of caffeine. As per experts, the requisite and/or maximum amount of caffeine an adult should consume is approximately 400 mg. Energy drinks also contain “natural substances” such as taurine, ginseng, and carnitine.
According to the Daily Mail, the research study found that the impact from drinking a non-sugar caffeinated beverage, such as coffee, didn’t have such an effect on the heart.
Research author Dr Emily Fletcher, of the David Grant USAF Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base in California, said, “We decided to study energy drinks’ potential heart health impact because previous research has shown 75 percent of the base’s military personnel have consumed an energy drink. And nearly 15 percent of military personnel, in general, drink three cans a day when deployed, which is more than we studied here,” the Telegraph reported.
For the study, 18 participants were divided into two groups. The first group received 946 ml of energy drinks, while the second group drank a control drink, which contained 320 mg of caffeine, 40 ml of lime juice, and 140 ml of cherry syrup (sugar).
The heart activity and blood pressure of the participants were monitored after every 2, 4 and 6 hours post the energy drink consumption, with follow-up examinations taking place after 24 hours.
According to the Inquistr, the energy drink group showed signs that their heart was “pausing” for 10 milliseconds in between beats. While 10 milliseconds is not significant, it would be much more pronounced if you drank three, four, or even five energy drinks in a short time.
According to NBC News, Dr Fletcher noted that some medications increase the risk for the heart to pause up to six milliseconds, but they have warnings on the medicine bottle. However, there is no warning on energy drinks that caution consumers that it could increase blood pressure.
“Those who consumed the energy drinks still had a mildly elevated blood pressure after six hours,” Dr Fletcher said. “This suggests that ingredients other than caffeine may have some blood pressure altering effects, but this needs further evaluation.”
Meanwhile, Gavin Partington, director general of the British Soft Drinks Association, told the Daily Mail: 'Caffeine in energy drinks is no different to caffeine in coffee so these findings are somewhat odd.
"The European Food Safety Authority latest opinion confirms the safety of energy drinks and their ingredients and therefore does not provide any scientific justification to treat energy drinks any differently to the main contributors to daily caffeine intake including tea, coffee and chocolate.
"It's also worth remembering that coffees from popular high street chains contain the same or more caffeine than most energy drinks."
Love chicken? You might be vulnerable to diseases. Here's why
Experts say the chicken you eat from these places, especially the broiler variant, is often pumped with large amounts of antibiotics and eating the meat can make a consumer resistant to drugs and leave him or her vulnerable to diseases.
An investigation by Mail Today into the poultry business in Haryana's Sonipat, Panipat and Karnal districts exposed the unethical practices indulged in by certain farm owners for profit.
"Our hatchery division produces 15,000 chicks every day and as soon as they are hatched, they are injected with antibiotic drugs to make them infection free," Sehrawat, manager of a poultry farm in Karnal, says on camera.
THREAT OF INFECTION
Since the birds are tightly packed in cages, the threat of infection always looms. This necessitates the use of antibiotics to promote growth. "We have to grow them at a rapid pace. So we use steroids for overall physical growth," said Sehrawat.
With rampant use, the drugs find their way into the chicken we eat as well as the ecosystem, leading to the spread of drug resistant bacteria in human beings, experts say. "Antibiotics such as enrofloxacin and sulfonamides are used recklessly in the Indian poultry industry to treat infections that arise due to the unhygienic and overcrowded establishments they are maintained in," said Dr Amulya VR, a veterinarian based in Hyderabad.
ANTIBIOTICS
Nearly 70 per cent of antibiotics vital for fighting infections in humans are sold for use in meat and dairy production and medical researchers have concerns that overuse of those drugs may diminish their effectiveness in fighting disease in humans.
In fact, the United Nations has asked India to urgently address the growing issue of antimicrobial resistance in the country due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics.
"While the government is regulating the use of antibiotics in humans, it remains unorganised in the livestock sector," said Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, head and neck cancer surgeon at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai. "Consuming antibiotic- resistance-laden livestock can influence the bacterial flora of the human body and create the bacterial strain that is resistant to. So if you have infection - in the lungs, blood or stomach - it could become incurable. The steroids can lead to suppression of immunity and pileup extra kilos."
THE STUDY
A study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) on broiler chicken about three years ago found that 40 per cent of the samples were contaminated with antibiotic residue. Six most common antibiotics used in poultry business are oxytetracycline, chlortetracycline and doxycycline (from class tetracyclines); enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin (from fluoroquinolones); and neomycin, an aminoglycoside. "The prime reason for misuse is that the conditions in which the chicken are raised are largely unsanitary, leading to high infection and mortality rates. For commercial reasons, the farmers would like to avoid such a scenario," said Amit Khurana, programme manager, food safety and toxins at CSE. "Another reason is to fatten the broiler without much feed."
Along with concerns over human health comes the issue of animal cruelty. TheMail Todayinvestigation has found that the hens in these Haryana poultry farms are kept in tiny metal "battery cages", where they spend their lives in violation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. The birds are injected with growth hormones, impregnated forcefully or even crushed alive, if it is a rooster, as roosters are regarded as less lucrative for trade.
It takes around 40 days for a chick to grow into a hen weighing around 1.5kgs to 2kgs and deliver eggs. Sunil, the manager of a farm in Gharauda in Karnal said that they use 12 kinds of "powders" made of chemical and biological substances including gelatin in the feed to make the chicken deliver eggs faster.
We mix these powders in the prescribed ratio with the food grain. Once the hens consume it they will be ready to deliver eggs in the next 16 to 20 hours. A normal hen can deliver two to three eggs in 24 hours," said Sunil.
Ambika Nijjar, animal rights activist and lawyer, describes the process of artificial insemination. "They first spread the legs of a rooster and pinch the sperm out. They then spread the legs of the female, open the vagina and insert the semen with a dropper. It is a very painful process for both, and in almost every bird we inspected, we found that they had swollen and infected genitalia."
The total egg production in the country for the year 2016-17 was 29.09 billion according to the Integrated Sample Survey, with Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal and Haryana being the top five egg producing states.
Artificially ripened mangoes destroyed
Vadodara: In wake of a Gujarat high court order directing state authorities to take strict action against traders using carbide and harmful chemicals to artificially ripen fruits, like mangoes, the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) food safety officers renewed efforts to destroy such mangoes. The officers destroyed 440kg mangoes that included 360kg ripened artificially on Saturday.The officials checked 40 godowns and 25 shops in the Khanderao Market on Saturday. The vendors were instructed to adhere to the directives of the high court.
They were also warned that strict action would be taken against them if they were found using artificial ripeners.Taking suo motu cognizance of a TOI report about raid by civic body officials on such fruit vendors, a bench headed by the HC Chief Justice had issued notice to the state government and all seven municipal corporations of Gujarat, and asked them to state what actions they have taken to curb the practice.
Authentication of organic products a mess
However, 28 certification bodies approved by APEDA, each with different manuals, has made it a messy affair. While APEDA has laid out broad guidelines for certification of organic produce which have to be adhered for export of produce, there is no regulation for the domestic market.
According to the international Competence Centre for Organic Agriculture (CCOA), Karnataka has 93,963 hectares of land either certified or in the process of certification as being organic in nature. Karnataka is third in production, with 2.82 lakh tonnes of food being considered organic.
Farmer producer organisations said certification is provided for Rs 35,000 per organisation. "We pay Rs 35,000 for certification from the Karnataka State Organic Certification Agency (KSOCA) for getting our produce authenticated as organic. The certification is for three years," Krupa T, president, Chitradurga and Davanagere Organic Farmers Federation, said.
The federation has 40 organisations with 3,800 farmers as members. When asked o whether the certification agency gives its seal of approval to every farmer's produce, Krupa said it is for the organisation. "The certification is meant for organisation which take the responsibility of the organic produce," Krupa said.
According to APEDA, this is known as the peer group certification, which mean there is no individual audit of every farmer's produce. Further, while a section of farmers under the Karnataka government scheme of organic farming has secured certification from KSOCA, the same federation also has members under the central government scheme of Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) who have certification from the Rajasthan Organic Certification Agency (ROCA).
Whether the change in certification causes differences in quality checks, Krupa said the federation had not considered such this situation. Certification industry professionals said the entire process of certifying organic produce is based on the consumer or the buyer.
"Certification is primarily based on the consumer due to multiple number of agencies. If there is an export market, the European Union (EU) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has specific certification bodies that need to ratify for their countries. At the local level, there is no standard criterion," said a professional associated with a major certification agency.
Admitting that the Centre is yet to approve domestic certification guidelines, APEDA deputy general manager R Ravindra said the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on March 30 released a draft notice on certifying organic food in the domestic market which will provide stringent regulations to sell within the country.
Andhra woman allegedly finds coal pieces in Tirupati laddu, complains to TTD
A woman devotee who visited the Sri Venkateswara temple atop Tirumala, has alleged that she found pieces of coal in the famous Tirupati laddu.
The Deccan Chronicle reported that the woman, identified as Devabhaktuni Yamini of Lakshmipuram village in Krishna District, noticed the coal on Friday, as she was about to eat the laddu.
The DC report adds that the TTD staff allegedly asked her if she was Christian, when she went to submit a written complaint, and insisted on a receipt.
This comes two weeks after reports that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the governing body of the temple, may soon have to apply for a central license to run its kitchen, after orders from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
The Hindu had earlier reported that the FSSAI also asked the Central Licensing Authority in Chennai to inspect the ‘pottu’ used in preparing the temple’s famous laddus.
This order came after an RTI application by a Bengaluru-based activist in December last year.
This would mean that the TTD would have to follow regulations of the Food Safety Standards Act.
At the time, it was reported that Director of Food Safety Management System (FSMS), Suneeti Toteja, wrote a letter which read, “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.”
In his compliant, the RTI activist reportedly wrote, “The cooks who are in preparation of these laddus in large quantity are found wearing no proper dress. They are working in half naked dress and found sweating due to heavy heat at the kitchen. These cooks are not wearing any hand glove, apron and other safety norms.”
The laddu is a major source of the TTD’s revenue and adds several crore rupees to its annual budget. It is made with flour, sugar, ghee, oil, cardamom and dry fruits.
However, objects like iron pins, key chains and even gutka packets have been previously found in the laddus.
In 2016, a total of 10.46 crore laddus, were sold as ‘prasadam’. In its 2017 budget, the TTD stated that the sale of laddus was expected to fetch Rs 165 crore.
In 2015, the laddu entered its 300th year.
Temple officials say the sacred offering was introduced on August 2, 1715.
The laddu is in great demand on special occasions. The authorities sell the prasad round the clock during Brahmotsavam.
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