Jun 4, 2017
Unsafe practices: fine imposed on erring hoteliers
The Collector has called for serving food in hotels and roadside eateries on banana leaves and plates made of arecanut leaves.
The Food Safety Department has registered as many as 288 cases of adopting unsafe practices while marketing food products in the district in the last five years and a fine of Rs. 36 lakh was collected from the erring hoteliers, said V. Samapth, District Collector.
The Food Safety Department has issued licence to 28,000 people for running hotels and eateries.
The people involved in this industry who have not registered their concerns with the department and not got proper licence should do the same with immediate effect, the Collector said while speaking at a meeting to create awareness on the food safety norms and the consumer rights held at the Collectorate on Friday.
The department booked 288 cases of practising unsafe food production/distribution methods. In 48 cases, a total fine of Rs. 36 lakh was slapped on the erring concerns and the penalty collected.
The Collector called upon the hoteliers, roadside eateries, tea stalls and the bakeries to shun using plastic bags, newspapers and other materials for packing food articles, as they proved harmful to the health of the consumers.
The use of newspapers for wrapping and packing food items, a common practice by street vendors, posed a health hazard.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has restricted the use of newspapers as packaging material stating that the consumption of food wrapped newspapers was injurious to health. The chemicals in newspaper ink contained harmful colours, pigments, additives and preservatives.
They should take steps for serving the food on the banana leaves and the plates made of arecanut leaves. The food items should also be packed only using the banana, arecanut and teak leaves, he said.
He warned the hoteliers with stringent action, if found violating government norms.
T. Anuradha, Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, and other officials participated in the meeting.
Petition submitted
The members of the Salem Ilaignar Kuzhu has urged the district administration to direct the owners of hotels and eateries to supply food in banana leaves instead of serving the same in plastic and butter papers.
The members, holding banana leaves, presented a petition in this regard to the District Collector V. Sampath during the public grievances redressal day meeting recently. They also displayed banners with the slogans “Let us use banana leaves and eradicate plastic materials”.
They said, of late, in many vegetarian hotels and roadside eateries food is served in plastic materials, instead of banana leaves. Using plastic materials will prove harmful to health.
Food is served even in ‘Amma Unavagams’ in plastic materials.
They urged the Collector to slap a ban on using plastic materials for serving food in the hotels and eateries and direct them to serve the food only in banana leaves.
Mr. Sampath forwarded the petition to T. Anuradha, Designated Officer of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, to initiate appropriate action.
The milk you drink may be laced with detergents
Glass full Adulterated milk is linked to a range of health hazards, according to the study.
Gap between milk production and demand is what incentivises adulteration
India may be the largest producer of milk in the world but is the milk really safe? A study which analysed samples in Delhi found that it contained “harmful adulterants”, the most common among them being starch, chlorine, hydrated lime, sodium carbonate, formalin and ammonium sulphate. Milk producers are known to use these substances to scrimp on milk portions and prepare “synthetic milk” by mixing urea, caustic soda, refined oil and common detergents.
Adulterated milk is linked to a range of health hazards which include gastrointestinal disorders, renal and skin diseases, eye and heart problems, and cancer, according to the study which will be published later this month in the peer-reviewed Current Science.
Results of study
For their study, the researchers, led by Brototi Roy and colleagues at Maitreyi College in Delhi, randomly collected 75 milk samples (packaged and unpackaged) from different regions of Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon and Faridabad. These were tested for adulterants such as neutralisers, skimmed milk powder, urea, detergents and ammonium sulphate.
The study found that all the milk samples were adulterated with neutralisers. These are substances added to prevent curdling and increase the shelf life of milk. They could be added in the form of caustic soda, sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate. Packaged milk, that now forms a significant chunk of the milk delivered to homes, was found to contain a higher amount of neutralisers, solid milk products and urea. A higher proportion of unpackaged milk samples contained detergents and ammonium sulphate.
Milk adulterated with detergents is known to cause food poisoning and gastrointestinal complications. In addition, some detergents contained dioxane, a carcinogenic agent. The concentration of urea in natural milk ranges from 0.2 to 0.7 g/l whereas adulterated milk contains almost 20 times its natural concentration and stresses the kidney to the point of renal failure.
It is also reported to weaken the eyesight and trigger headaches and diarrhoea in children. In excessive quantities, ammonium sulphate can lead to coronary disease, gastrointestinal irritation with nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
Demand is the catalyst
Even though a majority of Indians are lactose intolerant — i.e. they lack the gene that allows milk to be digested beyond childhood — the consumption of milk and dairy products in India outstrips milk production.
At roughly 160 million tonnes annually, India accounts for a fifth of world production. This is primarily due to the overwhelming popularity of milk in north and north-west India. North-eastern States such as Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur have reduced milk consumption, according to the National Sample Survey Office. The discrepancy between production and demand incentivises adulteration.
Earlier investigations, similar to the Delhi study, have also found several instances of adulteration in other parts of the country. A 2012 report by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India said that 68.4% of samples from across the country were found contaminated with various adulterants and fell below required milk quality standards. The study tested samples from States and Union Territories and found that barring Goa and Puducherry, all States had a significant fraction of their milk adulterated. At the other end, all the samples tested in West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and Mizoram were completely adulterated. Of these, 33.4% of packaged milk and 66.6% of unpackaged milk sold by milkmen were adulterated.
THAT WATER POUCH MIGHT GIVE YOU A STOMACH ACHE
Can cause gastro problems: docs
According to AMC Food Inspector Rakesh Ghame the samples were collected from packaged drinking water units and the water at some of these units was substandard, though not unsafe. “Substandard quality water is relatively safe to drink; however, hygiene is not maintained while packaging the water. Around 98 per cent substandard water samples show aerobic microbial activity whereas around 2 per cent per cent show E. Coli.” AMC Lab Technician Atul Soni said, “The packaging units do not take care of hygiene and as a result, aerobic microbial activity is seen in the water which can later cause gastrointestinal problems. E. Coli on the other hand results in food poisoning.” Director of Indian Institute of Public Health, Dr Dilip Mavalankar, said, “The bacteria and the virus if ingested, can cause digestive problems, nausea and other health problems. Both pathogens are dangerous as it can cause cholera, jaundice and other waterborne diseases and can cause an outbreak.”
How do we identify unsafe water: Amdavadis
Substandard packaged water remains a matter of concern for Amdavadis. “The water looks clean, tastes clean. How can we know if the water is contaminated,” asks city-based engineer Nirav Raval who was shocked to hear the results of the test. Entrepreneur Jaimin Gondaliya who has to travel extensively for work and prefers to buy water pouches instead of bottles added, “I buy pouches to avoid wastage. With packaged water, we assume it is hygienic and safe. But now that I know of the test results, it seems I should stick to carrying boiled water from home with me.” He further added that the units that do not follow strict code of hygiene should be penalized.
‘Strong immune system’
However, there are also people who feel that these results are no big deal. Shagun Bhat, student of Calorx Teachers’ University told Mirror, “Despite being a health enthusiast, I regularly drink water from pouches. I have never fallen ill. Yes, once a water pouch I bought tasted strange. I just threw it away and bought a new one. I guess I have a strong immune system” Theatre actor Kailash Shahdadpuri who is a frequent traveller depends on the water pouches, irrespective of where he is. “I often drink water outside, be it from packaged bottles or pouches as they are convenient. I have never faced any health issues.” NIFT student Trishla Lakhani meanwhile, nips the issue in the bud. “I make it a point to carry a water bottle from home and only in rare cases do I buy packaged bottled water. I never go for water pouches as I don’t trust the quality.”
Fine ranges from Rs 5K to Rs 2 L, say AMC officials
According to Ghame, the packaging units packaging substandard water are fined and action taken against them under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Depending on the quality of water, AMC levies fines in the range of Rs 2,000 to Rs 5 lakh. “However, in the last three years none of the water bottling plants has been fined as the case against them is pending in the district collectorate office,” said Ghame.
Certifications required for organic products
With multiple research studies recommending the use of organic products, people are increasingly becoming aware towards its benefits and harmful effects of non-organic contenders.
However, while buying an organic product from a store, you must ensure that the label of the product carries the certifications required for organic products. As an end consumer, the certification carries a great deal of significance in informing you about the credibility of the product you invest in.
Just labelling the product as ‘organic’ or ‘100% organic doesn’t verify the genius of the products contained therein. Besides, the farmers engaged in cultivation of organic products are benefitted by these mandatory certifications for organic products.
Becoming a certified organic farmer helps him in accessing the local and international markets easily. He receives his due share in the revenue generated from organic farming and thus supports the local economy.
Though every country has its own process of certification, the following certifications are mandatory for organic products:
USDA Organic
The USDA organic certification verifies that the organic products adhere to the regulations, requirement and specifications recommended by United states Department of Agriculture.
Being the most comprehensive and demanding system of certification, it covers a wide range of detailed monitoring and control measures.
SGS GMP certification
SGS GMP (Good manufacturing practices) certification verifies that all measures are being taken to ensure an effective food safety program. It addresses the issues of hygiene at every level of the manufacturing process, including the premises and equipment, primary production, packaging, warehousing, distribution, pest control and waste management, as well as routine personal hygiene of the staff involved.
SGS HACCP certification
Hazard analysis and critical points (HACCP) certification ensures that the standards of WHO (World Health Organization) are met during management of food safety and hygiene.
It is an accredited registration scheme for assessing the operational status and performance of the organizations regarding safety of foodstuffs. Organizations that successfully complete this assessment process are given HACCP certificate and registration, ensuring the consumers, retailers, and government authorities to have justified confidence in the way that organization controls food safety and food hygiene.
SGS ISO 9001: 2008
ISO Certification is the most essential and pre- requisite for organic products worldwide. There is no better guarantee than ISO Certification in earning the buyer’s confidence and recognition for the product, internationally.
ISO standards ensure features like quality, ecology, safety, economy, reliability, compatibility, inter-operability, efficiency and effectiveness of the product.
It is responsible for spreading awareness about the product, share technical advances in its manufacture, and the management practices; thus facilitating business.
ISO standards provide practical solutions to achieve benefits in every sector of business, industry and technology, and for all three dimensions of sustainable development – economic, environmental and social.
EU Organic Certification
The EU organic certification is a guarantee for the product in compliance with the common European organic food standards. The certification can ensure the consumers that at least 95% of the product’s ingredients have been organically produced.
Moreover, the product complies with the rules of the official inspection scheme, is directly delivered from the producer or the vendor bearing his name and the name or code of the inspection body.
NPOP (National Program for Organic Production) India Organic
The standards for organic production in India and the organic logo are governed by APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development authority), which provides national standards for organic products through a National Accreditation Policy and Programme.
NPOP aims to provide the means for evaluation of certification programmes for organic products according to the international standards. Further, it strives to encourage organic farming in India.
An organic website may not carry all these certifications at once, however, any of these is the hallmark of purity of organic products.
Only 9 employees on job to test food items J&K consumes
90 of sanctioned 200 posts in JK Food Control Organisation vacant; it took department 3 months to warn public about bad quality of pulses in market recently
Only a fraction of food items in the markets of the Valley is tested for quality and adulteration currently because the Drug and Food Control Organisation is working at nearly half its staff strength.
Documents accessed by Greater Kashmir reveal the food wing of the Organisation has a sanctioned strength of 202 posts. But 90 of these are vacant, including the important posts of food analysts (FAs) and food safety officers (FSOs).
Three of the four posts of FAs and all six positions of assistant food analysts are vacant. A food analyst supervises food quality tests and also decides on what tests to be carried out and also their timing.
There is a single laboratory technician for the entire state against the sanctioned eight posts.
Currently, all quality tests for both Kashmir and Jammu divisions is carried out by nine employees—1 food analyst, 1 senior lab technician, 1 lab technician, 2 lab assistants and 4 lab attendants—at the two food testing laboratories, Patoli (Jammu) and Dalgate (Srinagar).
The situation in the field is no better. As many as 36 posts of Food Safety Officers, who are tasked with market checks and lifting food samples for testing besides other activities, have also been lying vacant. Hence, markets largely go unchecked.
At the higher level, the post of Commissioner Food Safety and two posts of Assistant Commissioner Food Safety (ACFS) too haven’t been filled for more than a year now, though the ACFS posts were advertised by the Public Service Commission in April last year.
The charge of Commissioner Food Safety has been given as an additional task to Commissioner Health and Medical Education.
In March last year, Greater Kashmir had carried a series of reports about the status of food safety in Kashmir, which prompted the High Court to take Suo-Moto cognizance of the issue concerning public health. Hearing the case, on May 24 this year, the Court directed the government to fully equip food testing laboratories and provide manpower to mobile testing vans in the state.
The division bench of Chief Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed and Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey also directed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to depute a qualified person to these laboratories to find out whether they fulfill the requirements under Food Safety and Standards Act.
Although, following the High Court intervention, the government allotted funds to the department and ordered procurement of advanced equipments for food testing and quality control, the shortage of the manpower has defeated the purpose.
The official said orders for procurement of machines worth Rs 6.75 crores have already been placed through J&K Medical Supplies Corporation Limited.
“But the shortage of manpower is defeating the entire initiative,” said the official.
During the financial year 2016-17, about 1485 samples of food items were lifted in Kashmir division (including Ladakh) and reports of 1311 samples were furnished. Of these, 254 samples were found sub-standard.
Last week, the organization issued advisory regarding “unsafe” pulses available in market. These samples, as per officials, had been lifted in March 2017 when 4970 kilograms of pulses were seized from Srinagar markets.
Although, the Food Safety and Standards Act mandates that the test report be furnished within 15 days of the sample’s receipt at the lab, it took the department three months to prepare the report and issue the advisory because of the shortage of staff.
Controller Food and Drugs Lotika Khajuria said all vacant posts have been referred to recruiting agencies.
“The matter (of recruitment) is not in my jurisdiction,” she said.
Chairperson JK Service Selection Board Sarita Chauhan said her department “is ready” to carry out the recruitment.
“We are trying to find a suitable date for conducting the exams for these posts. As soon as we find a date that does not clash with any other exam we will notify it,” she said.
No licence coming, 600 meat shops back in business
LUCKNOW: They don't have the licence to operate but close to 600 meat shops in the city have started functioning illegally.
According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the licensing authority, no shop is even eligible for a licence; a major reason being that there is no slaughterhouse or source of raw meat in the city.
"Butchering of animals inside shops is prohibited so meat shop owners have to show their source. Since there is no slaughterhouse, they have no source to show. As a result, they are not eligible to even apply," said DR Mishra, designated officer of FSSAI. President of butchers' association Shafeen Qureshi said the online system was complicated and queries are not handled properly at the FSSAI office. "We have visited the FSSAI office half-a-dozen times. Sometimes, the officials say they don't have the format and sometimes they say they don't have the orders to accept applications. So we have stopped making the effort," he said.
The high court, on May 12, directed the government to commission new licences and renew old ones. It also observed it was the responsibility of the municipal corporation to construct a modern slaughterhouse.
However, LMC is neither streamlining the procedure to construct the proposed slaughterhouse nor is it planning a crackdown on meat shops functioning without licences. "A month ago, we carried out drives to shut down illegal meat shops. It is the duty of LMC to check shops operating without licences," said acting mayor Suresh Chandra Awasthi.
As to why there was no progress in the construction of a modern slaughterhouse, he said, "The pollution department has not provided an NOC." UP Pollution Control Board officials said the NOC had been rejected because of incomplete information. "LMC's application was rejected because it did not have requisite information. We even sent them a query asking for details but got no revert," said Kuldeep Mishra, regional head of the pollution control board.
Jun 3, 2017
Bengaluru milk is 'safe'; survey again in July
BENGALURU: There is no milk adulteration in Bengaluru: this is the conclusion of a survey conducted in six cities across Karnataka as part of a national study. Hard to believe the finding, the Karnataka health department has decided to repeat the exercise in July, this time with a scientific sampling process.
The survey, ordered by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, concluded that Belagavi and other border cities consumed the most adulterated milk from both organized and unorganized sectors. Urea was the most common adulterant. As much as 75% of the milk samples collected in Belagavi was found to be adulterated, 40% in Hubballi-Dharwad and 18-20% in Mysuru. In Kalaburagi and Mangaluru, no sample was adulterated. The health department says the high adulteration in Belagavi is not surpris ing, but the result in Bengaluru is un likely . "Common sense says not even a hi-tech city like Bengaluru can have 100% safe milk," says health commissioner Subodh Yadav. "The other parameters, when verified with the milk samples, suggest it may well be true Belagavi has such a high quantity of adulterated milk. Border towns are vulnerable. Even independent reports suggest the same. However, (the finding that) samples suggesting no adulteration in the other three cities is hardly believable." The health department will start a second round of milk sample collection to test for adulteration. The previous round relied on random milk samples.
"We will put out a list of laboratories where people, too, can submit the samples if they find the milk suspicious," the commissioner said. The department will ask the Karnataka Milk Federation to submit their samples for testing at the district level. The testing is expected to continue till September.
Steps to check use of chemicals in fish
Minister promises action against erring vendors
Stringent action will be taken against those found selling fish tainted with chemicals in the market, Health Minister K.K. Shylaja has said.
The initiative launched by the Food Safety wing — Operation Sagar Rani — to ensure the safety of fish sold in markets has been intensified and is being implemented in three phases.
In the first phase, samples of fish and ice collected from trading centres will be sent for sample studies in the food safety labs and the lab of the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology in Kochi. Legal action under the Food Safety and Standards Act will be initiated against those found selling fish with chemicals
In the second phase, awareness classes will be held for those in the fisheries sector
In the third phase, Food Safety and Standards Act licence/registration will be made mandatory for all fish retailers and those engaged in seafood trading.
Operation Sagar Rani is expected to bring about many healthy changes in the way fish was marketed in the State, Ms. Shylaja said.
‘Safety licence must for food operators’
Food safety licence is mandatory for any food business operator and if they fail to produce it during an inspection, they need to cough up a fine up to Rs. 5 lakh or imprisonment up to six months, said S. Chidambara, designated officer, Food Safety and Standards, District Health Department, Mysuru district.
Speaking during a training programme on hygienic and sanitary practices for food industry, organised by CII Mysuru here on Friday, he said that it is important for all food manufacturers to have good hygienic practice.
Though the Food Safety Act is effective from 2011 and food manufacturers were given time till August 2016, just 10% of them across the district have taken Food Safety licences.
From next month, the district Health Department will be taking out the drive across the district, he informed.
Arjun Ranga, chairman, CII Mysuru said, “The Indian food processing industry accounts for 32% per cent of the country’s total food market. It contributes around 14% of manufacturing Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 13% of India’s exports and 6% of the total industrial investment.”
Over 50 food business operators from various firms from Mysuru took part in the programme.
20 things our food may contain
However, there are things that get into food, which could shock and disgust you enough to keep away from food altogether!
What will surprise you further is that many of these things are permitted by the Food Safety authorities, but within limits. Some substances, like certain toxins are naturally present in foods and so even if the food authorities wanted, they could not ban them totally.
Some of these 'foreign' substances might not be dangerous, but not even in your wildest imagination could you have thought that they could be on your plate, says Dr. Saurabh Arora, founder, Food Safety Helpline.com:
1. Ever wondered what rats do in your food?
Rodents scavenge for food and rummage in food stocks. In fact rodents could make stored foods their home if entry is not strictly prevented. Where there is laxity rodent hair, urine and droppings enter foods and from there to your plate. So watch out as your food could be biologically contaminated.
2. Snack with maggots
Next time you eat a burger or open sealed packs of foods or cans of mushrooms and tomatoes check carefully. It could be infested with maggots and insect eggs. Your cabbage and spinach could have caterpillar larvae in it. Believe it a not a limited number of maggots are permitted in food! says Dr Arora.
3. They live in drains, dustbins and in your food
Cockroaches, flies, insects of all kinds and even spiders and lizards can fall into food and are regarded as being highly dangerous if found in foods as they can carry bacteria from dustbins and drains to foods. The presence of rodents and insects is a food safety violation that could result in cancellation of license for food establishments.
4. Unseen dangers have roots
Moulds and fungus grow on foods when the temperature is warm and the rainy season finds these in abundance in sauces, jams, jellies, cooked and processed meats and poultry, cheese, bread and even fruit. Surface moulds can be washed or dusted off but that does not mean they have gone away completely. The fungus has roots that go deep into foods and these are not visible to the naked eye. Dishcloths, towels, sponges and mops if not kept clean spread moulds which land up in your food. Avoid anything smelling musty and stale and check vegetable and fruit stems to detect moulds.
5. What are cleaning agents doing in your food?
Cleaning agents like ammonia, bleach, dishwashing liquids and sanitizers can cause turmoil. People have had them with their coffee because the personnel forgot to rinse out the coffee machine thoroughly. Human error it could be but the carelessness in not rinsing and washing utensils or cooking surfaces thoroughly can lead to not only a bad taste but some stomach burning and even food poisoning. Cleaning agents need to be stored away from all food preparation areas and utensils. Cooking and food preparation surface areas must be cleaned, washed and sanitised only when food preparation is over and no food is outside. Such carelessness ruins reputations of the food establishments.
6. You could be ingesting heavy metals
Copper, brass, cadmium, lead, zinc mercury and even arsenic could be in your food. Metals leach into foods from the environment and from utensils used for cooking and serving food. Cracked or chipped pewter dishes, pottery dishes with glazed lead or those pretty enamelled dishes you cook and serve food in can leave lead and anatomy or cadmium in your foods and can even react with acidic foods like tomatoes, orange juice and pickles. Copper cooking utensils, buckets and tubs made from galvanised metals like zinc, and plumbing pipes also introduce metals into foods. Mercury and arsenic can reach foods through water and cadmium and lead from soil. All these heavy metals can cause toxicity when ingested and could even damage the liver, kidneys, central nervous system and blood, while mercury can cause sensory, visual and auditory problems also. Since chemicals cannot be seen adequate and regular food testing is required to ensure that foods are free from these elements at all points in the food chain.
7. Are you sure your milk products have no melamine?
Are you sure that the infant formula you are feeding your child with or the chocolate and frozen yogurt you are eating is free of melamine? So what is melamine and why is it used in foods? Melamine is synthetic material used to make plastic tableware and dishware, adhesives and even whiteboards. So what's it doing in your food? Water is often mixed into milk and such milk loses proteins and so to enhance the content of protein melamine is mixed in it. Products made from milk could have melamine which can damage the kidneys permanently.
8. Packaging infuses chemicals into food
Antimony and tin are used in packaging materials from where they can enter food. Foils, cans, pans and storage containers have chemicals which can be released from them into food at low levels and these, when are ingested, cause various health problems.
9. Human beings leave their own stamp on foods
While human hair found in food might not be hazardous as animal hair, but their presence in food indicates that the establishment lacks in good hygienic practices. Besides hair; nails, false nails, nail polish, pieces of jewellery, paper napkins and even cigarette butts can enter food and have been found, more often than anyone would like to admit. All personnel working in food service industry need to be made aware of these hazards and instructed and trained to follow good hygiene practices.
10. Mice and horse in your processed meat
Animal hair or chipped pieces of bone can be naturally present in meat food products. Perhaps what you may not be aware of is that whole mice can sometimes be churned into foods during processing. Unscrupulous manufacturers add horse and even rat meat to canned meat food products to cut costs, especially those imported, as some countries permit horse meat.
11. Tea with a taste of iron
Iron filings can enter tea when it is processed as particles escape into tea from the wear and tear of iron machinery. Iron remains in the body and though some iron is good for the body it could become dangerous and lead to heart problems, if you are a tea addict and drink copious amounts of it. The permissible limit for iron filings in tea in India is presently 150 mg per kilogram of tea.
12. Extraneous materials that can break your teeth
They say sticks and stones won't break bones but stones in food might break your pearly whites. You must have seen dirt, mud, manure, leaves, twigs and other filth and even insect excreta in some raw grains and other agricultural products. While some of these can be removed by picking them out what about insect excreta? When raw materials are processed into cereals, bakery products etc. do these remain or have they been cleaned before processing?
13. What's cooking, metal or glass?
Metal fragments from worn or chipped equipment and containers enter food products during processing. However, glass, plastic and metal pieces from glass tumblers, edges of badly opened tin cans and carelessly opened caps on foods and even shattered light bulbs fall into food without anyone realising it. Wood pieces from wooden surfaces or chopping boards slip into food too. Even a small piece of any of these substances can cause major problems if swallowed. Most establishments use shatterproof bulbs and open tin cans and bottles away from foods being cooked.
14. Sand and sawdust special
Have you felt that grit on your tongue? It could be sand in your salt, soup and coffee whitener. Sand is mixed in powdered foods as sand absorbs moisture and prevents clumping. Sawdust is used for the same reason in foods like shredded cheese. It also makes low-fat ice cream creamy and ready to drink milk shakes smooth.
15. From plants to your plate
Residues of pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers used during the agricultural process easily find their way into foods. Pesticides may leave residues on the skins and surface of fruits and vegetables. Residues of pesticides and herbicides over a period of time can affect the central nervous system, respiratory and gastro intestinal system.
16. Of hormones and antibiotics
Livestock are given antibiotics and growth hormones in their feeds so they can remain healthy and grow bigger quickly. If you are a non-vegetarian you could find these growth hormones and antibiotics in the animal meats which you eat. Eating animal meats that contain antibiotic makes you resistant to antibiotics.
17. Are these food additives really permitted?
The fruit juice you enjoy so much could have sulphites. Sulphites are deliberately added to fruit juices, in some soft drinks, instant tea vinegar and wine to keep them tasting fresh. While preservatives and flavour enhancers improve the looks and taste of foods yet some of them could cause allergic reactions.
18. Carcinogens in your foods
Bright coloured foods look attractive but the truth is that synthetic dyes like Red 3 and Citrus Red 2, Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40 and Yellow 6 are carcinogenic and could cause various kinds of cancer and allergic reactions too.
19. Gelatine: veg or non-veg
Some vegetarian foods like certain cereals could contain animal gelatine which is used as a binding agent so that the sugar sticks to the cereal. Read the labels minutely if you are a vegetarian or you could find you've just eaten animal bone and skin as some gelatine are made from these.
20. What does your chewing gum contain?
If you are one of those who loves to pop a chewing gum into your mouth then you could actually be eating a secretion from sheep wool called Lanolin. This additive is used in chewing gum because it has an oily texture which makes it easy to chew that gum.
61 cases of food safety violations reported in state: FSSAI
New Delhi, June 2: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) claims that Orissa has recorded 61 cases of food safety violations in 2015-16.
The FSSAI sources revealed this in response to an RTI application filed by this correspondent seeking data on a number of cases of food and beverage adulteration and misbranding detected in Orissa through the food safety offices and the action taken in this regard.
The regulator said that the latest data pertaining to 2016-17 is not available with the office. However, the data pertaining to 2015-16 claims that in Orissa a total of 211 food samples were tested for adulteration/misbranding of which 61 were found to be non-conforming with the Food Safety Standards Law.
The RTI reply from the department also claims that the state government had registered two such cases for prosecution while penalty was imposed on a single erring individual/firm.
However, the Orissa State Food Safety Commission seems to have worked out on less number of cases in 2015-16 as compared to 2014-15. As per information from FSSAI, in 2014-15 Orissa tested 544 samples and found 112 cases of adulteration/misbranding while in 2015-16 the department tested only 211 samples – only 39 per cent of the number of samples tested in the previous year.
As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, the Food Safety Commissioners in states can initiate prosecutions against the adulterators and people responsible for violation of the norms on the basis of findings by food inspectors, lab tests and recommendations of the designated officers.
However, a number of food safety officers’ posts are reportedly lying vacant in the state which makes the work of food testing and action against the guilty a tough task. The state also has dearth of food analysts who can check the food samples whether they are safe for human consumption.
Jun 2, 2017
Here's the unusual ingredient in chewing gum you didn't know about
It may just surprise you.
Chewing gum is typically composed of gum base, softeners, sweeteners and flavours.
New Delhi: Do you know that every time you're popping your favourite chewing gum in your mouth, you could actually be chewing a secretion from sheep's wool? Yes, that's right!
It has been found that chewing gum contains lanolin, which is a waxy secretion from the sebaceous glands of the skin of sheep. Its function is to make sheep's wool waterproof. For this reason, lanolin is generally an ingredient in skin products, which is fine. But what about using it as an ingredient in chewing gum?
The innocent-looking chewing gum might not be as innocuous as you thought, says, Dr Saurabh Arora, founder of Food Safety Helpline. Moreover, since lanolin is present as a component of chewing gum base (the rubbery substance that imparts the "chewable" characteristic to chewing gum), which is regarded as standardised, manufacturers do not need to reveal its individual ingredients.
What goes into making a chewing gum?
Chewing gum is typically composed of gum base, softeners, sweeteners and flavours. These are briefly discussed below.
* Gum Base: As indicated above, the gum base is rubbery in nature, and used to be derived from latex sap (called chicle) of the sapodilla tree. Other natural sources includegum Arabic, natural resin, food grade agar, Chiku, Ghatti, Jhingan, Khair etc.
However, nowadays, with the advent of rubber synthesis technology, synthetic rubber is primarily used for making the gum base. These include:
- Synthetic resin
- Polyvinyl acetate
- Polyethylene
- Glycerol esters of wood resin/gum resin
- Glycerol esters of partially hydrogenated wood/gum resin
As has been indicated above, there are many components of gum base (besides lanolin) that remain unknown to the consumer, since the manufacturers have no intention to declare them, in the absence of any strict regulations forcing them to do so.
* Softeners: As the name suggests, the primary function of this component is to maintain a "soft" consistency of the gum so that it is appealing to the consumers. This component helps to retain moisture and prevent the gum from hardening. The most common softeners are glycerin and vegetable oil.
* Sweeteners: As you have probably guessed, the most common sweetener is sugar. Sometimes, corn syrup is also used. For the health conscious, the following artificial sweeteners are also used:
- Saccharin sodium
- Sorbitol
- Mannitol
- Xylitol
- Maltitol
- Aspartame (methyl ester)
- Acesulfame potassium
- Sucralose
* Flavours: The flavor component of chewing gum is usually added last and imparts a long-lasting, refreshing, and zingy taste to the chewing gum. Some of the exciting flavours include the following:
- Mint flavoured chewing gums e.g. Wrigley's Spearmint, Wrigley's Doublemint; Eclipse Mints; Extra Mints etc.
- Fruit flavoured chewing gums e.g. Juicy Fruit
What are the various varieties of chewing gums?
Chewing gums come in a variety of shapes & sizes, attractive wrappers, flavours (already discussed) and a number of novel functions. Some chewing gums are advertised to impart a white sheen to the teeth (Orbit Whitening) or for giving kids some fun e.g. Bubble Gums (Hubba Bubba, Super Bazooka etc.). Other varieties have medical functions, and contain drugs impregnated in them. These include the following:
- Analgesic e.g. Aspirin
- Antacid e.g. Calcium carbonate
- To increase alertness e.g. Caffeine
- To prevent dental caries e.g. Xylitol or Chlorhexidine
- To give-up smoking e.g. Nicotine
- To provide nutrition e.g. Vitamin C
What do the regulatory agencies say?
The major international agency on food safety and standards is the Codex Alimentarius, which has fixed the maximum levels (in mg/kg) of various food additives in chewing gum. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the apex food regulatory authority in India has fixed the chemical composition and maximal levels (in ppm) of the various food additives in chewing gum/bubble gum.
Are there any health hazards from chewing gums?
Yes there are! There are a number of health hazards that consumers should be aware of. These are briefly discussed below:
- Chewing Gum Can Trigger Temporo- Mandibular Joint Disorder (TMD): The temporo-mandibular joint is the joint that connects the jaw bone (mandible) with the temporal bone of the skull. Excessive chewing can cause differential contraction of the muscles, particularly if you chew more with one side of the mouth as opposed to the other. This can trigger TMD, which causes chronic pain, tightening and inflammation of the jaw muscles, ear aches, tooth aches, as well as migraine-type headaches.
Chewing Gum Can Cause Gastrointestinal Problems: Chewing gum increases the air intake into the gastro-intestinal (GI) tract, which can cause abdominal cramps and bloating. It can also aggravate the condition in patients suffering from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Peppermint flavored chewing gum can cause gastric acid reflux. Also, popping a chewing gum into the mouth immediately causes the brain to send signals to the digestive system to be prepared to expect food intake. As a result, saliva and other gastric juices, including gastric acid starts to be secreted. Since, there is no intake of food, this actually may compromise your ability to digest food due to lack of digestive juices, when you actually consume food. This can cause indigestion. Some chewing gum sweetened with artificial sweeteners can cause diarrhea.
- Chewing Gum Can Cause Tooth Decay: Consumption of chewing gum sweetened with sugar essentially coats your teeth with sugar, which leads to tooth decay. Besides tooth decay, dental erosion can also occur. Dental erosion occurs by cumulative decalcification, which slowly erodes the teeth. This can occur even in the presence of artificial sweeteners, since they contain acidic flavorings and preservatives that can erode the teeth, in spite of the presence of xylitol that fights cavities.
- Chewing Gum Can Release Mercury from Dental Fillings: Amalgamated dental fillings typically contain silver, mercury and tin. Chewing releases mercury vapors from the fillings, which can be rapidly absorbed into the blood. Although the amount of mercury is minute, you wouldn't want to contaminate your system with mercury, however small.
The foregoing discussion highlights the composition, varieties and health hazards of chewing gums. Although primarily the deleterious effects of chewing gums have been highlighted, it may be added that chewing a piece of gum after a meal could be a healthy habit - the saliva released helps to clean the teeth and the flavour can add freshness to the breath!
On World Milk Day, Let’s Go Natural!
(1 June is observed as World Milk Day throughout the world to increase awareness about milk and its importance as a global food.)
I want to drink a glass of milk, said no kid ever! But in every Indian household, two glasses of milk a day is almost mandatory for children. Over generations, stories of mothers and grandmothers forcing milk down the throats of hapless children have been legendary.
For 8-year-old Rohan, it’s a double whammy. His body is calcium deficient. So along with the prescribed calcium supplements, his mother also ensures that he has at least 3 glasses of farm fresh milk every day.
We always knew that our milkman mixed water in the milk he delivered. So, a few months back, we decided to switch to farm milk so that at least the nutritional value of the milk remains intact. It is a little expensive but it’s okay as long as my family members remain healthy.SP Rajlaxmi
Milk is a good source of animal protein. (Photo: iStockphoto)
In a country that largely eats a vegetable-based diet, milk is the main source of animal protein. So it’s important that the milk that is consumed is unadulterated and healthy.
This need for unadulterated and fresh milk has led to a gradual growth of structured organic dairy farms throughout the country.
What is Organic Milk?
Organic dals, organic vegetables, organic milk?
The term ‘organic milk’ refers to the milk produced by livestock which is fed pesticide-free and fertiliser-free fodder. The livestock is not injected with antibiotics or any other medicine that is known to artificially increase milk production.
Deepak Raj, Vice President of Binsar Farms in Sonepat, Haryana believes that the purity of milk produced largely depends on what the livestock is fed. Fodder rich in nutrients will ensure high-quality milk.
Deepak Raj, Vice President of Binsar Farms. The farm produces milk using organic methods. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
We ensure year-round supply of green fodder, which is rich in protein and starch. Grains like maize, wheat provide rich nutrition to the cows and enriches the quality of the milk they produce. Free stall system in the farm helps the cows to eat whenever they are hungry so their milk production isn’t hampered. Deepak Raj
Fodder-rich in nutrients will ensure high-quality milk. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
The livestock is allowed to graze on open fields that are clear of any fertilizers and pesticides. They are also milked using automated machines that transfer the milk produced directly to the pasteurisation chambers. This ensures no manual contamination and preserves the nutrient quotient of the milk.
The livestock is milked using automated machines that transfer the milk produced directly to the pasteurisation chambers. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
Benefits of Naturally Produced Milk
Drinking unadulterated milk has a wide range of health benefits. Delhi-based nutritionist Rupali Dutta feels that any milk which is produced using hygienic methods provides ample nutrition to the body.
Consuming clean, unadulterated milk is important to receive its nutritional benefits. Standard diaries ensure that their milk is checked for chemical residues and fat content, which makes it healthy for consumption.Rupali Dutta, Nutritionist
Drinking unadulterated milk has a wide range of health benefits. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
Clean, unadulterated milk, in general, is rich in A1 and A2 protein, which is healthy for children and adults. The health benefits of milk largely depend on how it is treated at the time of production.
The milk produced is pasteurized and cooled immediately, thus preventing harmful bacterial growth. It preserves its freshness and taste. Deepak Raj, Vice President, Binsar Farms
The milk produced should be pasteurized and cooled immediately, thus preventing harmful bacterial growth. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
Effects Of Adulterated Milk On Body
Milk is the second-most widely consumed liquid in the world! Right after humble water. But sadly, most of the milk available is largely contaminated and unhealthy for the human body.
Consuming adulterated milk can give rise to serious health ailments that have a widespread impact.
A 2012 study conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had concluded that 70% of the milk consumed in India was adulterated.
Another study on milk adulteration by OMICS International found that detergents and urea were the most common adulterants present in milk besides hydrogen peroxide, starch, sugar, salt, carbonates and bicarbonates. These have adverse effects on kidneys and intestines and may even prove fatal in some cases.
The most common effect of drinking adulterated milk is allergies that occur due to the added emulsifiers. The high amount of lead causes serious internal organ failures and affects the liver and the kidneys.Rupali Dutta, Nutritionist
Starch and sugar may also prove fatal to people who are suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure.
High Price for Health?
Yes, naturally produced organic milk looks like the perfect solution for all our health problems.
Obsession with organic, which used to simply be the norm, has now become a trend amongst urban Indian families.
But fresh farm milk comes at a cost – Rs 70 to 100 per litre.
Health is more important! (Photo: iStock)
For Ismeet Kaur, a Gurugram-based mother of two, her children’s health came before money.
I switched to organic milk a few years ago because of the rampant malpractices in the milk industry, the widespread abuse of animals and the fact that most of the milk commercially available today is a cocktail of chemicals and hormones. I wanted to switch over to a safe, healthy and animal-abuse-free means of ensuring nutrition for my kids.Ismeet Kaur
But is she getting bang for the buck?
In India, the Ministry of Agriculture has laid down specific guidelines for Certification and Inspection Systems in Organic Farming.
As per the guidelines the livestock need to be under ‘continuous organic management at least a year prior to the production of milk or milk products to be represented as organic and 100% of the fodder, including pastures must be managed and handled by organic production practices’.
Low Yield of Naturally Produced Milk
Binsar farms supplies close to 4,000 litres of naturally produced milk to areas like Rohini, Pitampura, Patparganj in Delhi.
Binsar farms supplies close to 4,000 litres of naturally produced milk. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
But Deepak says that there are hardly 5% dairy farms in the country that produce milk using organic methods.
Conversion of farm land into organic is a slow and gradual process. The waste from the farm is used to provide natural manure that enhances the richness of the pastures. It takes almost 5 years just for the upper layer of soil to become fertile. Deepak Raj
Conversion of farm land into organic is a slow and gradual process. (Photo: Shiv Kumar Maurya/The Quint)
With over 300 cows in their farm, Deepak states that their constant effort is to produce milk that is ‘as close to organic’ as possible. He feels that India is still far away from producing 100% organic unadulterated milk.
All our processes are scientifically tested and proved. Using the best practices of other countries helps us produce unadulterated healthy milk. We can still not claim to be 100% organic but it’s as close to organic that is available in the Indian market. Deepak Raj
A Viable Solution?
There is a huge demand for clean and unadulterated milk in the country. But the real challenge is to produce unadulterated milk on a large scale and make it available for the masses.
There is an urgent need to educate dairy farmers on the benefits of producing milk using organic methods.
Dairy farmers must be educated on seasonal fodders, nutritional requirement of the livestock, diseases and their prevention. They must be made to understand that they will get better yield and higher profits if the cows are healthy. Using hormone enhancing injections does not only lower the milk quality, it also decreases the life expectancy of the cattle. Deepak Raj
For a healthier future, it is essential that the government and dairy farmers work hand in hand to ensure growing numbers of organic milk farms in the country.
Chinese fruit ripening agent in Chandigarh
CHANDIGARH: Food safety officials have for the first time found Chinese pouches of ethylene oxide instead of carbide for artificially ripening fruits in the city. These white pouches were found in the vegetable market in Sector 26 that are being used to ripen mangoes.
The sample has been sent to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), New Delhi. "We have raided fruit and vegetable shops and stopped use of calcium carbide. However, what was recently seen were white powder pouches of ethylene. The FSSAI permits 100 parts per million for artificial ripening. But this pouch which has 'made in China' label does not show the contents or its quantity," said Sukhwinder Singh, designated officer, department of food safety and standards, UT health department.
Shops raided, retailers told to take thinners, removers off shelves
Four notices were issued to retailers in Kumbarpet, who were educated about the adverse effects of using the products. They were told to remove them from the shelves.
"In September 2016, the production and sale of whiteners and thinners along with nail polish removers were banned in the state t implement a central government notification. There are four dangerous chemicals in these products that have an adverse effect on the mental and physical wellbeing of the consumer after prolonged use. They are extremely addictive and their easy availability needs to be restricted," said Srinivas Gowda, joint director of food safety.
All store owners pleaded ignorance of the ban and also about the ill-effects of such products. Inhalation of the fumes has a huge impact on the mental state of the users, mainly in late teens, like drug consumption. They contain chemicals like toluene, bromopropane, methyl chloroform and trichloroethylene, and extended usage can also lead to heart arrhythmia and heart attacks.
"Due to their easy availability and low pricing in small neighbourhood stores, there is almost no control over who can buy these products. Ragpickers are also known to abuse these items and indulge in criminal behaviour by finding half-used bottles and getting intoxicated," said Harshavardan B, deputy commissioner, food safety and standards authority.
Even big brands continue to sell and supply these products to Karnataka despite the ban. Tracing a distributor using sale receipts and bills submitted by shopkeepers, food safety officials were able to zero in on Vishwanath, proprietor of Girishri Enterprises in VV Puram, who supplies branded cosmetic products across the city.
"I had no idea that nail polish removers were banned. We have been getting them regularly from the company and distributing them. We will immediately recall all stocks of the products and send them back to the company," he said. His company was issued a notice and a warning as it was a first-time offence. Harshvardan said most large manufacturers had central licences and would need a central notification restricting them from selling or transporting the items to Karnataka.
"We will conduct a follow-up raid next week. Repeat offenders will be fined Rs 25,000 and the establishment will be closed. There needs to be more awareness on the adverse effects of such products among schoolgoing children," said Harshvardan.
Ban on cattle sale for slaughter: Can we stop outraging and focus on regulating animal markets?
On 23 May, the Government of India issued rules regulating the cattle market. The regulations seem to have affected the country even before they have been implemented or even read. Kerala went ballistic and, without most people having read or understood the rules, issued threats against the government of India. Members of the Congress party went so far as to slaughter a baby cow in public and distribute the meat to equally vicious spectators of this perverted cruelty. Kerala has no licensed slaughterhouses except the ones for export, so god knows what they were getting upset about – except Kerala no longer needs a reason to kill somebody – dogs, cows, women, children, elephants, other party workers.
West Bengal put up a lesser howl and Tamil Nadu made a feeble protest – because they are the ones who run the most illegal cattle markets in India and supply pregnant, sick, diseased and baby animals to Bangladesh and Kerala respectively.
Some strong opinions have been expressed by political leaders and students unions but are devoid of legitimate content because almost none of these have observed or even seen livestock markets. Unfortunately, what gets conveyed and leads to mass hysteria is just political rhetoric. The context and provisions of the rules have been slaughtered in the process.
Let us understand the need to regulate the livestock markets. Only two kinds of animals are brought to livestock markets — ones that are useful for milch purposes or ploughing purposes and the ones that are to be sold for meat purposes. The ones that are useful are taken reasonable care of and their transport is less prone to smuggling as they find end users easily. Moreover, their health and appearance has to be kept in reasonable shape for them to fetch a high price.
The second kind of animals that come to be sold for meat is another universe of hell. The farmer usually sells his discarded cattle for meat in intermediary markets to commission agents. These agents buy a dozen or so and take them to bigger markets and sell them to bigger agents. After many such transactions in many intermediate markets, at some point they are congregated, stuffed into trucks and taken to other states to be sold to bigger contractors. The interstate movement of cattle in North India is towards West Bengal via Jharkhand, Odisha or Bihar. In the southern states, the cattle are transported towards Kerala from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and even Maharashtra. Please bear in mind that most state Acts for slaughter or transport of cattle out of the State require extensive permissions from Animal Husbandry or Revenue Authorities. While none of this is followed, a system of "hafta" exists and police check posts simply let the overloaded trucks pass for a fee in blood money. Knowingly or not, everyone involved in the chain becomes a part of the smuggling racket which has plagued India.
However much we may want to believe otherwise, this racket is not unorganised or organic by any stretch. There is an organised cattle trafficking mafia that operates in every state in India. The Ministry of Home Affairs in 2006 established the links between cattle smuggling and terror funding. In 2008, HUJI militants arrested after the Assam blasts confessed that they sourced all the money to conduct their activities through smuggling of cattle. Every year, in Uttar Pradesh alone, more than 100 police personnel get killed by cattle smugglers. On the Indo-Bangladesh border, scores of BSF jawans get butchered by the cattle smuggling mafia every year. The profit margins for export of meat to the gulf countries through Bangladesh is extremely high and there is nothing that the mafia wouldn't do to anyone who comes in their way.
There is an unwritten prohibition on the entry of women in the Ghazipur cattle market in Delhi. The "sights are disturbing", they say. The animal slaughter section of the Sonepur cattle market in Bihar is a place where only "known middlemen" are allowed to enter. Anyone who walks in with a camera will surely not walk out with one and may also have to be carried out on a stretcher. Reason being, the picture isn't pretty. The tortured animals tied with short ropes, stand in lines for days and sometimes weeks, waiting for a buyer or the appropriate time for transport towards further hell. Their spirits are broken due to gross mishandling. Little calves can be seen looking for their mothers who are sold elsewhere.
The cruelty issues for cattle slaughter are huge. The death march that starts from the farmer's doorstep does not end at one market or with one buyer. They exchange multiple hands and are invariably ill-treated by each successive buyer. The question of feeding and giving water does not arise because they have to be slaughtered anyway. Sometimes, the weak ones are given alum water to drink to make their kidneys fail. This way, water is retained in their bodies making them look fatter — so that they fetch a higher price. They are made to travel from one market to another on foot, stuffed in trucks, in smaller vehicles and also in trains. The common factor here is the absence of necessary permissions and total disregard of existing laws for prevention of cruelty. It is quite common in southern states to see chillies stuffed in the eyes of cattle, to make them stand up in pain even when they are on the brink of death due to exhaustion. To maximise profits and cut costs, the cattle are stuffed into trucks beyond imagination.
Some suffocate to death, many get fractured bones, punctured eyes, broken tails, prolapsed uteruses, broken necks. In the absence of ramps for loading and unloading, the animals are thrown from vehicles often causing crippling injuries. They are pulled onto vehicles by strangling them and pulling with brute force. Such blatant brutality is generally not shown to animals that are still productive for agricultural use.
Regulating the markets and creating connections directly from the farms to the slaughterhouses, through established channels such as the dairy cooperatives, hurts nobody other than the mafia, their contractors and middlemen.
Moreover, the dairy industry needs to be accountable for disposing its byproduct in a responsible manner. The Indian Council for Agricultural Research, Government of India has also worked on sustainable and income generating models of keeping non-milking animals. These need to be implemented by state governments. The dairy sector is not an amorphous entity as most urban people believe. It is highly organised through milk cooperatives and Dairy Development Boards in each state. These channels need to be used for disposal of cattle that can be sold for slaughter so that there is accountability and reasonableness in the transactions and to minimise cruelty.
After having taken into account despicable cruelty and grave issues such as the threats of cattle smuggling and their implications on people and animals, the drafting committee framed the rules. Tamil Nadu opposes it for strange reasons. One of their arguments for opposing the Jallikattu ban was that they do not want their precocious cattle smuggled to Kerala and slaughtered. Now, they oppose a rule that actually addresses the problem.
West Bengal has been a respondent in Writ Petition 881 of 2014 and present at each hearing and consultation and deliberation that took place while arriving at the notification. The West Bengal counsel was in court on 13 July, 2015 when court asked the union government to frame the rules and also on the day when union government informed the court that the draft livestock rules were notified on 17 January, 2017. Why did they wait till the order was finally passed? And they suspect that it has anything to do with Ramzan! The Congress party has put up an eye-opening demonstration in Kerala, defeating the provisions of their own Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and Regulations 2011. The unfortunate attempts reek of desperation and cowardice.
The rest of India breathed a sigh of relief. If Environment Minister Dave has left a legacy, it is this rule.
Vendor, agency slapped with Rs 40,000 fine for coating below standard wax on apples
INDORE: A fruit vendor from New Palasia area and a Delhi-based agency were slapped with a fine of Rs 40,000 on Tuesday by a court of additional collector Rakhi Sahay for allegedly coating below standard wax on apples to increase their shelf life.
The matter came to light when a health officer of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) Dr Gautam Bhatia during a routine inspection found that wax-coated apples were being sold in a stall in New Palasia area.
A carton of four kg apples was purchased for Rs540 and was later sent for a laboratory test in Bhopal under the ministry of health and family welfare department. The lab report indicated that the apples were coated with below standard wax.
"Below permissible standard wax was found applied on apples in a laboratory test in Bhopal. As per the procedure, a case was made and presented in the administration court," said Gautam Bhatia, assistant health officer at IMC.
He added that the apple vendor, Kishanlal claimed purchasing the apples from a Delhi- based export firm called Royal Asia Marketing International. He also presented receipts of his purchases.
The apples were even stamped with Columbia pride Washington state apples and were put on sale. The stamp was also found to be a fake, he added.
The same documents were presented in the court. Kishanlal's firm was found guilty for allegedly selling the fruits without testing and was fined Rs10,000. Meanwhile, the Delhi based firm was found coating the below permissible standard wax on apples to increase the life of fruit and was slapped a fine of Rs 30,000 as per the food and safety standards act 2006 and 2011, the orders stated.
FSSAI officials collect sugar samples following complaint of ‘adulteration’
Following complaint of adulterated sugar being sold in a grocery shop here, officials from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) collected samples of sugar from the shop on Thursday.
A customer had alleged that plastic crystals were found in sugar he purchased from the shop near the Old KSRTC Bus Stand here.
Shivakumar, a resident of the city, had purchased 3 kg of sugar from the shop on Wednesday. He found plastic crystals mixed with sugar at home. “When we had tea, we noticed particles which did not dissolve in tea. Later, we found they were plastic crystals,” he said.
Minister for Sericulture and Animal Husbandry A.Manju also visited the shop after he was informed about the incident.
The officials visited the shop and collected sugar samples for laboratory tests.
Mr. Manju told presspersons that he had instructed the officials to collect the samples and take suitable action against those responsible for adulterating sugar.
Aravind, the shopkeeper, said he had been running the shop for many years and he never thought of cheating the customers.
“I have bought the sugar bags from Chikkodi. I don’t know about the plastic crystals. I will cooperate with the officials probing the matter,” he added.
Food business operators to get trained on safety aspects
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) recently launched the Food Safety Training and Certification (FoSTaC) programme to ensure that food safety training programmes are delivered to the target audience to build up the capability of Food Safety Supervisors of Food Business Operators across the country.
In the light of this, CII Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan, a pan-India food safety campaign to strengthen action on ‘Safe Food for All’ through awareness and capacity-building programmes, and a training partner of FoSTaC is organising training on June 2.
The topic is ‘Hygienic and Sanitary Practices for Food General Manufacturing, Advanced Level (Good Hygiene/Manufacturing Practices under Schedule 4, Part II of Food Safety and Standard Act, Rule and Regulations)’ at 9 a.m. at Hotel Quorum, Mysuru, here for food safety supervisors of small and medium industries.
The programmes would be interactive with focused activities to facilitate an environment of practical learning. Training of personnel in food business in a pre-requisite for ensuring food safety and hygiene. The ultimate objective is to promote good sanitary and hygienic practices as per schedule 4 of Food Safety Regulations and fulfil a need of at least one trained and certified Food Safety Supervisor in every food Business Operations so that he or she could intern cascade food safety training to the food handlers in their organisations, a press release said here.
Studies have shown that an appreciable percentage of food borne illness cases can be attributed to poor sanitation and food hygiene, including poor personal hygiene and contamination of equipment and environment, the release added.
Mysuru-based food industries can participate in the training program. Participation in the event is only through invitation. For more details, call CII Mysuru on Ph: 9880813811.
Fake 'ghee' sold at UP government canteens
June 1, 2017, 15:47 [IST] Subscribe to Oneindia News Lucknow, June 1: You might have heard of fake egg, fake cabbage that was made up of chemical substances and plastic materials but if you are a resident of Western Uttar Pradesh especially from Baghpat, Badaut, Bulandshahr and Mathura, then be aware when you buy the 'ghee' as these areas are teaming up with shops to sell fake ghee.
Some of the UP government employees alleged that fake ghee is being supplied in some government canteens as well.
The official suspect that members in UP government might be involved in the racket. According to sources, the ghee was a combination of refined oil, vanaspati oil nad desi ghee scent and hazardous chemicals were used to prepare the fake ghee.
Well, ghee is made from a milk fat but this fake ghee has animal fat, crushed animal bones for the granular texture, palm oil and final touch with desi ghee essence. Ram Naresh Yadav, Assistant Commissioner of UP Food Safety and Drug Department said that they have received complaints regarding the illegal units in the Western UP engaged in making adulterated ghee.
UP government staffers association said that the racket is so deep that the ghee is supplied even to the government canteens. Yadav said that the same has been informed to the higher officials in the department for further action.
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