Sep 10, 2017
Contamination of eggs in India and egg standards
New Delhi [India], Sep 09 (ANI): According to a research study, Indian poultry farms lack the technical knowhow of European nations and also follow poor rearing practices.
There are chances that they could be using contaminated feeds or using feed ingredients without any knowledge of their nutritive value which can effect egg production.
Also, unhygienic rearing practices and lack of quality control measures can easily lead to egg contamination. It is not just the poultry farmers but traders, exporters and even consumers are unaware of the health risks of egg contamination.
Developed countries take measures to sterilise the egg surface from contamination especially from Salmonella enteritidis. In India, no such measures are taken and risk of egg contamination increases.
India has become a leading poultry producer but the potential to reach the global markets is not very bright as the quality of the products does not meet international standards. Indian eggs are often rejected for export because of the presence of chemical residues on egg shells.
Recently, a number of eggs in the domestic market, in retail shops were collected and tested and were found to contain large amounts of salmonella both on the shell and inside the egg.
However, fresh eggs collected from farms indicated less salmonella contamination. Since most consumers buy eggs from retail outlets, the chances of contracting salmonella infection increases. Lack of food safety procedures, improper storage facilities and poor transportation are some of the other causes of deterioration in eggs.
The FSSAI has proposed standards for fresh eggs in the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Amendment Regulations, 2017. These standards will come into force once they are approved. The FSSAI has laid down parameters which state that the eggshells must be free of blood rings, must not be soiled or have faecal matter and they must not be cracked or leaking.
FSSAI has laid down the amount of water, protein, fats and carbohydrates that eggs must contain as also the hygienic parameters and hygienic controls, like time and temperature, that must be observed during production, processing and handling which includes sorting, grading, washing, drying, treatment, packing, storage and distribution to point of consumption.
FSSAI has laid emphasis on the storage conditions like moisture and temperature so as to reduce microbial contamination as microbial pathogens are a risk to human health.
Healthy add-ons: How fortified food is making up for missing nutrients
Data suggests that as much as 70% of Indians suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, consuming less than 50% of the recommended dietary allowance.
There could be something missing on your plate, and chances are you would never even know it.
Most Indians are not getting enough micronutrients — those vitamins and minerals that we need in really small, trace amounts, in order to remain healthy.
As diets shift towards processed and ‘refined’ foods, which are stripped of many of their nutrients, data is suggesting that as much as 70% of Indians suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, consuming less than 50% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA).
In response, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in November launched a large-scale drive to encourage certain foods to be fortified.
These will include milk, edible oil, wheat flour, rice and salt, to be fortified with iron, folic acid, Vitamin B12, A and D, zinc and other micrountrients.
“The campaign will focus on spreading awareness among food suppliers. We are looking at mid-day meal schemes and the Public Distribution System too, since those would benefit large numbers of people,” says Pawan Agrawal, CEO of the FSSAI.
One early success story is Mother Dairy, one of the largest milk suppliers in Delhi-NCR.
“We used to have our milk fortified with Vitamin A but we have added Vitamin D this year, following FSSAI recommendations,” says TSR Murli, chief R&D officer at Mother Dairy.
Independently of the FSSAI initiative, companies are finding takers for fortified food products.
ITC Foods, which already had such biscuits and noodles, launched a fortified chakki atta in Delhi a month ago, enriched with iron, folic acid and Vitamin B12.
This new atta variant is in line with the FSSAI mandate of reaching out to the masses with basic fortified foods,” says Hemant Malik, divisional chief executive for foods at ITC.
As awareness grows, consumers are responding too.
“I always try to get milk and milk products that are fortified with Vitamin D as vegetarians otherwise miss out on this important nutrition,” says businesswoman Dashma Wadhwani, 38.
“I made slight alterations in my shopping choices after a consultation with my dietitian, who spoke in favour of fortified foods.”
Experts do warn, however, against consuming such products in excess.
“People often think that if it’s vitamin-fortified juice, they can have as much as they want, forgetting that they are still taking in a lot of sugar or unhealthy preservatives, for instance,” says Richa Anand, chief dietician at Mumbai’s Hiranandani Hospital. “Also, everyone doesn’t need every fortified food out there. If you are not deficient in a certain vitamin, you may as well not pay extra for enriched juice.”
Marketing executive Kishor Varma, 40, switched to fortified biscuits and bread when he decided to improve his lifestyle in an erratic and hectic work schedule but has stopped now.
“My dietician advised against consuming too many biscuits even if they are fortified as one also consumes a lot of processed grain along with it. Now, I have a vitamin-fortified granola bar when I get hunger pangs,” he says.
The ideal, Dr Anand adds, is to focus on consuming as much unprocessed food as possible — and the best way to do that is return to the basics and eat a bowl each of raw fruits and veggies every day.
Sep 9, 2017
FSSAI to introduce web-based system for food inspection
Addressing a FICCI conference on retail, FMCG and e- commerce, he said the regulator is modernising food testing labs as part of its efforts to ensure safe and hygienic food is made available to the people.
Food regulatorf FSSAI will soon introduce a technology-based system to ensure that food safety inspection and sampling are conducted in a transparent and objective manner, its CEO Pawan Agarwal said today.
Addressing a FICCI conference on retail, FMCG and e- commerce, he said the regulator is modernising food testing labs as part of its efforts to ensure safe and hygienic food is made available to the people.
Agarwal said the enforcement of food safety law is done by states and there are no food inspectors in the central agency.
"We recently held a meeting with states' food commissioners. We are introducing a new food safety inspection and sampling system using web-based approach. This will ensure that inspection and sampling is done in a transparent and objective manner," he said.
Agarwal said many food businesses face challenges at the field level with enforcement agencies and therefore there is a need to adopt transparent inspection system.
The FSSAI CEO said that there are 90 government food labs in the country and 135 labs have been set up by the private sector.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) seeks to provide a robust framework of food safety in the country and is setting up standards for food products and practices, he said.
In food standards, Agarwal said a lot of progress has been made and standards for 80-85 per cent products are already in place while norms for the remaining are being finalised.
On standard food practices, he said the FSSAI is far behind but it is working with food professionals to develop food safety management practice.
Agarwal also stressed on increasing awareness level among consumers, saying that "consumers should demand best standards from food business operators".
He said compliance and enforcement would become meaningless if there are robust standards and food businesses are able to meet those norms and supply safe food to people.
FSSAI to introduce web-based system for food inspection
The FSSAI CEO said that there are 90 government food labs in the country and 135 labs have been set up by the private sector.
Food regulator FSSAI will soon introduce a technology-based system to ensure that food safety inspection and sampling are conducted in a transparent and objective manner, its CEO Pawan Agarwal said today.
Addressing a FICCI conference on retail, FMCG and e- commerce, he said the regulator is modernising food testing labs as part of its efforts to ensure safe and hygienic food is made available to the people.
Agarwal said the enforcement of food safety law is done by states and there are no food inspectors in the central agency.
"We recently held a meeting with states' food commissioners. We are introducing a new food safety inspection and sampling system using web-based approach. This will ensure that inspection and sampling is done in a transparent and objective manner," he said.
Agarwal said many food businesses face challenges at the field level with enforcement agencies and therefore there is a need to adopt transparent inspection system.
The FSSAI CEO said that there are 90 government food labs in the country and 135 labs have been set up by the private sector.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) seeks to provide a robust framework of food safety in the country and is setting up standards for food products and practices, he said.
In food standards, Agarwal said a lot of progress has been made and standards for 80-85 per cent products are already in place while norms for the remaining are being finalised.
On standard food practices, he said the FSSAI is far behind but it is working with food professionals to develop food safety management practice.
Agarwal also stressed on increasing awareness level among consumers, saying that "consumers should demand best standards from food business operators".
He said compliance and enforcement would become meaningless if there are robust standards and food businesses are able to meet those norms and supply safe food to people.
Sep 8, 2017
FSSAI promotes healthy eating habits among kids, unveils book
New Delhi, Sep 7 Food regulator FSSAI has set out to create awareness among children on healthy eating habits by joining hands with educational boards like the CBSE and the NCERT.
As part of broader plans, it released a book today aimed at children detailing how to eat right.
The book has been launched in three categories for children in the age group of 4-7, 8-12 and 13-17 and covers a range of topics -- from food safety practices, personal hygiene and cleanliness habits and eating a balanced diet to packing a wholesome lunch-box. It also lays emphasis on preventing nutritional deficiencies and making healthy choices.
"Eating habits among children develop at a very early age which don't change easily. So, it is important to take care of their eating habits so that they remain healthy lifelong," FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal told PTI.
The initiative of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) involves partners such as ministries of health and HRD, the Niti Aayog, NGOs, educational boards like the CBSE and the NCERT, state governments and nutrition experts.
The 'Yellow Book' provides age appropriate content that can be adopted across schools through state education machineries as part of their curricular and co-curricular activities. The topics have been formulated after discussions, consultations and extensive engagement with the partners, the FSSAI said.
The book will be distributed in schools across India. "Our aim is to reach out to about 1 lakh schools in India initially. Gradually, we will try to connect with more and more schools," the CEO said.
Under the initiative, FSSAI said it has also launched the School Engagement Platform, a portal that works as an online tool for schools to register.
Vinod K Paul, Member (Health), Niti Aayog, unveiled the book along with FSSAI Chairperson Ashish Bahuguna.
No food safety violations during Onam
Elders from various old age homes through out the state celebrated Onam with much fervour over the week. From laying flower carpets to special stage performances and traditional onam games their celebrations were no less than the rest of malayalis.
Thiruvananthapuram: The office of the Commissioner of Food Safety has no cases of violation of food safety norms to report this Onam, even though there are many street food vendors at various Onam week celebration venues. But celebrating this might be premature because one has to factor in how short-staffed the office is. There are 16 Food Safety Officers in the district, for thousands of street food vendors.
The actual number of street food joints is not clear. Both the state-level and district-level officials said that they did not know the actual number. When asked whether the current number of FSOs was sufficient, a district-level official said they would not be able to talk to the media about it. Under Kerala Vyapari-Vyavasayi Samithi’s Fast Food Owners’ Association, there are 786 food truck owners as members in the district, according to its district president P Stanley.
Some truck owners own more than one food truck. So the actual number of food trucks in the district could be more than 786. He says that the number of ‘Thattukada owners’ under KVVS in Kovalam area alone is around 450. When asked if the officials will be doing the rounds to check the safety of food given out by the vendors, an official at the state office said that they would focus on their respective health circles. The FSOs are supported by the Food Safety intelligence wing. Still the total number of officials would not be adequate to cover the thousands of food vendors in the district.
FDA seizes substandard betel nut costing Rs 3.87 cr
Nagpur: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials have seized sub-standard betel nut costing Rs3.87 crore in raids conducted in last two days in various city godowns and cold godowns following information from public sources. FDA has sent 12 samples for testing.
FDA joint commissioner Shashikant Kekare told TOI that the biggest seizure costing over Rs2.5 crore was made from a single godown near Surabardi from Shri Vidyasagar Roadways. "Since the publication of the news of adulterated and substandard betel nut in newspapers, in last one month, FDA has been getting many calls from citizens informing about the storage at various places. We have seized only betel nuts. We are sure it will prove substandard and adulterated," he said.
The other seizures were made at Jaiswal Trading Company, Chikli Lay Out Kalamna, Bhopal Indore Roadlines, Bhandara road, Royal Marketing, Itwari, PPP Enterprise, Telipura, Trimurti Traders, Maskasath, PM Company, Telipura, ST Traders, Itwari and Nandi Gruh Udyog, Chikli Lay Out.
The raids were conducted under the supervision of Kekare and assistant commissioners FDA (food) Milind Deshpande and Sharad Kolte. The other team members included Abhay Deshpande, Manoj Tiwari, Vindo Dhawad, Praful Tople, Amit Uplap, Seema Surkar, Akhilesh Raut, Anand Mahajan, Bhaskar Nandanwar, Lalit Soyam, Anant Chaudhary and Pravin Umap from the vigilance wing of FDA.
The raids were conducted under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act and the 2011 rules.
Sep 7, 2017
Nestle sets up first food safety institute in India at Manesar
Nestle’s first food safety institute in India has come up two years after the Maggi ban
Nestle already runs food safety institutes in China and Lausanne,
Manesar: More than two years since the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banned Nestle India Ltd’s Maggi instant noodles over health and safety worries, the new FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal on Wednesday inaugurated the Nestle Food Safety Institute that will provide guidance and training on food safety.
“This partnership is very well thought strategy. Nestle Food Safety Institute will conduct training programmes, on food safety management systems, testing methods and regulatory standards. Partnerships with private parties on food safety and standards are an imperative for FSSAI. This is our effort to implement a first world regulatory ecosystem in India,” said Agarwal.
The FSSAI has been working with Nestle India for setting up the institute at Manesar, where Nestle has its research and development centre, for the past seven months.
While this is the first such institute in India, Nestle already runs a similar institute each in China and Lausanne, Switzerland.
“Nestle can also help with its global expertise in areas of food science, which will help FSSAI in taking informed decisions while formulating regulations,” said Suresh Narayanan.
“Milestones are reached by companies at certain stages. For me this (opening up of the institute with FSSAI’s support) is a milestone for me and it reflects commitment of Nestle in India,” added Narayanan.
Nestle India, which launched 43 products after the Maggi crisis, is looking at consolidating its portfolio over the next 18-24 months. “Now we are in the process to see what is working and what is not working. We cannot support so many products going forward. What you need to do is to prioritise on what you need to focus on, and that core exercise is happening,” said Narayanan.
The company will focus on increasing penetration to ensure volume-led growth, he added.
Nestle launches Food Safety Institute in India in association with FSSAI
The NFSI India laboratory is equipped with high-end analytical technology and is an integral part of the globa... Read More
GURGAON: Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Nestle Indiainaugurated the first Nestle Food Safety Institute (NFSI) in India on Wednesday in Manesar. NFSI will work closely with the Nestle R&D Centre India and Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The institute is aimed at building and sharing knowledge through collaborative partnerships for strengthening the food safety environment in India.
"NFSI India will conduct training programs on Food Safety Management Systems, Testing Methods, and Regulatory Standards. We hope this institute will help meet India's growing demand for safe and healthy food.," said Pawan Agarwal, Chief Executive Officer, Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
He added that Indian still at nascent age as far food safety and security is concerned and the biggest challenge is to create a demand for safe and hygienic food through awareness so that private organisations start delivering on the safety standards.
Talking about the role of private organisatios in food safety and security, he said, "When it comes to food safety and hygiene, business motives must be kept aside." Nestle India officials also pressed on the same point saying that the institute is not a part for the Nestle India commercial unit but a local interface of Nestle R&D Centre India.
"The food safety environment in India is changing dynamically and so are the consumers. There is an increasing consciousness among them on the quality of food consumed," said Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestle India.
He added that food has a significant influence on our health and there should be collaborative efforts between regulatory bodies and industry for catering to the health and safety of consumers."
The NFSI India laboratory is equipped with high-end analytical technology and is an integral part of the global network of food safety experts at Nestle.
Nestle Research and Development Center India was founded in the year 2012 and is a part of Nestle's global R&D network. Nestle has about 40 R&D and Product Technology Centres worldwide.
Surprise raid by Food Safety Officials, Huge amount of contraband tobacco seized
Port Blair, Sep 06: Continuing the strict action against illegal sale of contraband tobacco products, on 05/09/2017& 06/09/2017 a team of Food Safety Officials lead by the District Food Safety Officer, South Andaman conducted surprise raids in connection with storage and distribution of contraband tobacco products at Aberdeen village, Shadipur, Wimberlygunj and Bambooflat, wherein large quantities of contraband tobacco products were seized fromFood Business Operators (FBOs). The details of the FBOs who premises were inspected, closed and sealed are Shri. Gyanashekhar, R/o Shadipur, Smti. G. Shanti, R/o Phoniex Bay and Shri. K.Jaleel, prop. M/s Hotel Fatima, R/o Wimberlygunj and Smti. S. Marudhachi, R/o Shadipur. All the contraband tobacco items were seized under the appropriate section of the Act and legal proceedings are being initiated against the offenders under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Till now 44 premises have been sealed for the violation.
The Commissioner Food Safety have warned the travelers who are travelling from mainland to Port Blair by Air or by Ship should not carry the contraband tobacco products with them and also warned the Food Business Operators not to store/stock/display or sale any contraband tobacco products in their premises and storage area and if the enforcement staff on their inspection if found any contraband tobacco products, stringent action will be initiated against the errant FBOs including sealing of premises and cancellation of licenses.
All the general public is hereby requested to pass on contraventions found if any on food safety to the Commissioner of Food Safety, A&N Islands at No. 03192-231024/9434280018 or on District Control Room No. 1070 for strict actions against violators.
FDA orders 4 Mapusa food outlets shut
Mapusa: Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Tuesday inspected four premises in Mapusa and ordered their closure for operating in unhygienic conditions and without a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence.
FDA officials said an inspection was carried out as part of a special drive at Hotel Aflatoon and it was found allegedly operating in unhygienic conditions and without a FSSAI licence. FDA officials said that the food operator was inspected earlier and a notice was issued to shut down. But, the operator did not adhere to FDA directives and continued to operate without a licence. The FDA ordered its closure. As part of the drive, FDA also raised three temporary stalls operating outside kiosks at the Mapusa bus stand. These stalls were found in alleged unhygienic conditions and without FSSAI registration. The temporary units were closed and cleared with help from Mapusa muncipality. The FDA team comprised designated officer Richard Noronha, senior food safety officer Rajiv Korde, food safety officers Atul Dessai, Madhav Kavlekar, and Sujata Shetgaonkar along with staffers Sudhakar Parsekar and Arjun Naik.
Sep 6, 2017
SC upholds Goa amendment banning gutka, tobacco
Although gutka, pan masala and other flavoured tobacco products were banned from January 2003 under the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, the apex court had struck down this notification a year later saying such prohibition for an indefinite period did not fall within the domain of State food authorities.
After the Supreme Court decision, legislation was enacted under the Goa Public Health Act 1985 wherein all the prohibited food products were brought under the purview of injurious food.
Speaking to Herald, National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (India), President, Dr Shekar Salkar said, “I am extremely happy at least that the case has taken a logical end which is in favour of the health of the people. SC has upheld the power of the state to enact a law which will be beneficial to the health of the people”
He added, “The second issue which was laid to rest by the SC is the petitioner’s claim that it was not eatable but chewable. After the government came up with the Goa Health Amendment Act, the same company had gone to the HC but it was upheld and later they again challenged the ban in the SC which today again upheld the amendment dismissing the petition filed by Ghodawat Pan Masala Products.”
Ghodawat Pan Masala Products, flavoured-tobacco majors in the State, wanted the notification and the two regulations under the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006, based on which the state issued the ban, set aside as unconstitutional and contrary to a 2004 Supreme Court judgment which ruled against a similar ban.
The manufacturers also argued and wanted the court to order the State to stop raiding their vendors as an interim measure. “Areca nut growers depend on the gutka and paan masala industry and the ban will cause severe harm to farmers,” they had prayed.
Toxic fruit and veg given to millions of UK pupils by the government
Toxic chemicals have been found in fruit and veg given to millions of schoolchildren by the Government. Official tests revealed 84% of apples, bananas, carrots, pears, satsumas, tomatoes and raisins destined for four to six-year-olds contained residues of one or more pesticides.
Two million kids get free fruit every year as part of a £40million Government drive to encourage healthy eating. But experts discovered 66% of over 2,000 samples of fruit and veg analysed had traces of multiple chemicals.
Raisins were the worst performing with 100% of samples testing positive for residues of multiple pesticides.
A damning report by Pesticide Action Network UK, based on official Government figures, called on ministers “to do more to protect children from pesticides”.
The 16-page dossier warned: “Children in England are being exposed to a cocktail of pesticide residues in the fresh produce they receive through the Department of Health’s School Fruit and Vegetable Scheme (SFVS).
“These pesticides have documented potential to harm human health, especially the health of young children who are particularly vulnerable to their impacts.”
The free produce handed to youngsters was far more likely to contain pesticides than that in supermarkets, corner shops and markets.
The report added: “The produce being provided to children through the scheme generally contains more pesticide residues than their mainstream equivalents. For example, in 2015, 90% of SFVS apples given out in schools contained the residues of multiple pesticides, while for conventional apples found on the supermarket shelves this figure was just under 60%.”
Sep 5, 2017
FSSAI includes spring water standards in FSSR
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has now included standards for spring water in the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011, categorized as mineral water. As per the draft, notification is drawn by the food regulators, standards have been covered in the clause titled ‘Description and Types of Mineral Water’.
The draft notification further describes spring water as a fluid which obtained from the natural resources and is derived from an underground formation.
“Spring water shall be collected only at the spring or through a borehole tapping the underground formation feeding the spring. There shall be a natural force causing the water to flow to the surface through an orifice,” it added.
According to the draft notification, “Spring water should conform to all the standards for mineral water, except the total dissolved solids (TDS) content, which shall not be more than 750mg/litre.”
Stating that it would be too premature to comment of the permissible TDS limit, Ashwin Bhadri, chief executive officer, Equinox Labs said, “The permissible limit of TDS in drinking water is 500 parts per million (ppm) as per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), whose certification validates the source and quality of water.”
“However, here lies the cliche - in case there is no other source of water available, the highest permissible limit can be 2,000 ppm. Apart from this, the BIS document such side effects as the decrease in the palatability, which may cause gastrointestinal irritation,” he added.
“Thus, spring water can be an excellent replacement in case there is no other source of water, which is often the case in the interiors of the country,” Bhadri stated.
He added, “There is a provision for packaged natural mineral water, which was mandated on March 29, 2001, under the erstwhile Prevention of Food Adulteration Act (PFA), 1954. BIS certification is of extreme importance in case of using water.”
HRAWI gears up to align its system as per the guidelines of FSSAI
Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has put its foot on the accelerator to align its system as per the guidelines of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). In its recent move, HRAWI organized two separate training cum certification sessions in Mumbai. These sessions were conducted as per the Food Safety Training & Certification (FoSTaC) programme developed by FSSAI. The participants enrolled in for the session will be bestowed with a certificate of advanced level catering.
The Food Safety Supervisor Training in Advance Catering Programme was meant for big catering establishments where the systems are complex and the need for dedicated personnel for food safety and standards is imperative.
“HRAWI aims to proactively ready its members for becoming FSSAI compliant even before it becomes a mandate. It would be in the best interests of our members and the industry to be thorough and fully equipped to meet standards that are internationally accepted and followed. The training programme enables the business establishment to institute a supervisor who in turn can effectively cascade the communication to the grass root levels in the establishment in order to uniformly implement the processes as required by the FSSAI. This is a win-win situation for the business, the auditing body and most importantly the customer,” says Dilip Datwani, President, HRAWI.
The sessions organized at D Y Patil University School of Hospitality and Tourism Studies and Sheila Raheja Institute of Hotel Management were participated by a large number of hoteliers and restauranteurs. The Association has in the past organized similar programmes to familiarize hoteliers and restaurateurs with the finer nuances of food safety and hygiene. Food businesses across India, from roadside eateries to restaurants, will have to comply with a wide set of food safety rules, norms, and procedures and obtain Food Business Operator (FBO) licences.
“HRAWI applauds the initiative of the FSSAI under its Chairman, Pawan Aggarwal, for holding effective consultations with the industry and for partnering with the Association in the creation of master trainers and thus, a trained and technical workforce in aid of the Food Safety laws in the Country. FSSAI’s objective behind the Food Safety Training & Certification (FoSTaC) programme is to have at least one trained and certified Food Safety Supervisor in each and every Food Service Establishment including the catering industry. The trained supervisor will be responsible for ensuring hygiene and food safety implementation in their respective establishments. We think this is a great way to ensure that each establishment understands and maintains the standards without any ambiguity in implementation across the country,” says Pradeep Shetty, Honorary Secretary, HRAWI.
“Whether it is on matters of policy for hospitality and tourism or matters of compliance related to food safety and standards, HRAWI has always worked inclusively with the Government. We will continue to work with the vision of creating an atmosphere that is enterprising, and that leads the way for progress of the industry,” concludes Datwani
Moga: Health department raided juice shops
Moga - Food Team of District Health Department raided the food selling shops at various places including Amritsar Road, Ludhiana-Ferozepur Road, under the leadership of Additional Food Commissioner Madam Harpreet Kaur and District Food Safety Officer Abhinav Khosla. The team was raided on the streets and stalls of fruit Juice especially in the city, during which the fruit for serving to customer was get destroyed by the team on the spot.
Meanwhile, the authorities instructed the vendors to use fresh and good quality fruits to prepare the juice. Mr. Khosla informed that they must registered immediate, who do not have the licence to sell. Apart from this, samples of food items like dal, bakery biscuits and a sample of other food, from various suspected shops were taken. They said that because of the Festival season, they will continue the process of inspection.
Sep 4, 2017
Make the rules for nutrition security
Even the recent shutting down of multiple outlets, in excess of 160, of a junk food corporate, although over alleged financial disputes, is a brilliant move in the arena of public health and nutrition regulation. Although late, these regulatory and policy endeavours may go a long way in improving India’s currently abysmal public health and nutrition scenario.
More than two decades old now, the national nutrition policy (1993) failed to provide any substantial leadership or results in tackling the multiple forms of malnutrition in the country. We only saw an almost stagnant undernutrition rate during this time, along with a rise in the obesity burden and pervasive, multiple micronutrient deficiencies.
Well-intended, evidence-based regulation and its effective implementation will lead to sustainable gains in public health by reducing the morbidity and mortality burden, empowering consumers to make informed choices, keeping the industry’s misleading conduct and dubious practices in check, and translating into economic benefits.
Consider smoking, for example. No one stopped when they were “told” that smoking may cause cancer. But taxing cigarettes, banning advertising, setting age limits for selling tobacco products and restricting smoking in public places made it both an imperative and easier for many people to stop, and also discouraged new ones from taking to the habit; obesity and chronic diseases have dropped after enforcement of strong policies (restrictions on trans-fats in Denmark; taxation of carbonated and sugar-sweetened beverages; mandatory front-of-pack labelling; workplace interventions, physical activity promotion, breastfeeding promotion).
Industry endorses self-regulation but spends billions of dollars on misleading advertising in the name of innovation and creative independence, which encourages us to overeat unhealthy foods. They portray government regulation as a feature of a nanny state that deprives people of the freedom to exercise their will.
We all know that the meal with free toy becomes the default choice of the kids and thus their parents’. Advertisements blatantly showcase that consumption of “cool” — read ultra-processed foods, high in sugar, salt and fats) foods and drinks will lead to better social acceptability. Is this not arm-twisting using marketing and advertising gimmicks? Is this not leading people to make unhealthy choices?
Economists say that just obesity and its related consequences can cost us $190 billion annually. Modelling estimates suggest that interventions as simple as mandatory food labelling may reduce obesity prevalence by 2.5-6.5%. About 15 million DALYs (disability-adjusted life year, a measure of overall disease burden, expressed as the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death) per annum can be averted by simple policy interventions. Research also shows that several simple public health and nutrition (PHN) interventions can be clubbed for a cost-effective response.
Threats and possibilities
Some challenges that merit our attention when we think of PHN regulation: a) the regulation’s coverage, format, who will be excluded and why? b) Synching advertising guidelines with proposed regulation (for example, banning junk food advertisements and their sale near or in children’s spaces); c) how will we include or bring in restaurants, small joints, takeaways, unorganised sector as stakeholders? d) Collaborations (vendor/small manufacturers associations, civil society, licences); e) Implementation and surveillance.
Some strategies that may enhance the impact of regulation may include strengthening regulatory agencies like the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India; state-wise compulsory participation, empowering nutrition research institutions which may provide high quality evidence to influence what works and what doesn’t in local context, constituting independent unbiased group of experts and advisers to collate evidence and present to decision-makers, partnerships among stakeholders, reducing corruption, consumer awareness camps, short-term licensing and renewal based on compliance with set criteria or guidelines for food safety, transparency and accountability checks, time-based outcome analysis results, setting up robust and sustainable surveillance system.
Above all, efforts to make all involved bodies work in-sync with opportunities to constructively criticise and discuss issues. In fact, it will be good to invest in a baseline (pre-regulatory landscape) and then make periodic changes in key health outcomes. The states can standardise these measures and the Centre can collate these as a part of standardised surveillance system to monitor PHN.
We must collectively advance from mere feeding to nurturing. Let us broaden our focus to care about public health and nutrition security than mere food security. As the legendary German writer and statesman Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Willing is not enough, we must do.”
Closure notice to eateries
The Food Safety wing’s special squads conducted inspections over the last 12 days at 5,413 food production and sales outlets across the State.
The licences of 36 outlets, which were found to be functioning in an unhygienic manner, were cancelled and closure notices were issued.
A compounded fine of Rs. 72,76,000 was collected from various outlets for blatant violation of FSS Act. Food safety special squads in all districts will collect complaints from the public on Onam holidays also.
70 people in hospitals after food poisoning at school in Kohima
Kohima, Sep 3 (UNI) Over 70 students and teachers of a reputed school in Kohima reportedly contracted food poisoning after eating food prepared
by students at a farewell event organised for its class XII students on Friday last.
According to sources, the students were hospitalised in different hospitals at the state capital with symptoms of vomiting, sweating, diarrhea and fever.
In a private nursing home informed that around 53 students were admitted on Friday, out of which 15 to17 students, whose symptoms were severe.
“All the beds in the hospital are occupied and more students continue to come in,” a source informed.
With the rush of the patients coming in with similar symptoms, a sort of emergency was reported at the hospital authority hastened to ensure
accommodations as well as treat the patients. The students and teachers were also in another two nursing homes.
It is suspected that the students and teachers included contracted food poisoning after consuming dessert made with milk and eggs, reportedly prepared
by the students. The farewell event for the class XII students of the school was hosted by class IX, X and XI students. Even some parents, who consumed
the food presumably the dessert, brought home by their children, were also admitted in the hospital, sources said.
Jaggery not so health after all
The report says that the main purpose behind using these additives is to remove impurities easily and give it the desired colour.
Report by Cooperation Department points to extensive use of chemicals and adulterants
The humble jaggery, increasingly regarded as a healthier alternative to white sugar, is not necessarily safe if you are buying it without a thought on what is going into it. A recent report by the Cooperation Department shows that a host of chemicals and adulterants go into it in several jaggery-making units.
Jaggery units in Karnataka, particularly in Mandya region, have been using different types of chemicals/additives, including calcium hydroxide, sodium hydrosulphite (hydrose), sodium formaldehyde sulfoxylate (safolite), ortho-phosphoric acid, seashells, baking soda, oil (castor/coconut), and orange-red powder (artificial food colouring), reveals the report submitted recently to the government.
The main purpose behind using these additives is to remove impurities easily and give it the desired colour. Sugar is also added as a thickening agent, reducing the processing time, says the report by Additional Secretary, Cooperation Department. It also notes that some manufacturing units, in contrast, have also been using lady’s finger stem and powder as safer alternative clarificants.
Karnataka ranks third in sugarcane cultivation that is concentrated in Belagavi, Bagalkot, Mandya, Bidar, Ballari and Vijayapura districts. Mandya district alone has 532 jaggery manufacturing units with an output of at least 10 lakh tonnes of jaggery a year. Jaggery samples were collected from Mandya, Yeshwantpur and Mahalingapur and tested at the Regional Agmark Laboratory, Guntur. The tests revealed that higher level of sulphur dioxide residue was found in light coloured jaggery samples from Mandya market than the samples collected from Yeshwantpur and Mahalingapur markets. This could be attributed to the excess use of chemicals such as hydrose and safolite, the report said.
The report said sodium hydrosulphite (commonly used as a reducing/bleaching agent in textiles, dyeing, leather, paper pulp and other industries) was used as bleaching agent in jaggery manufacturing. These sodium-based chemicals also lead to the reduced shelf life of jaggery, as sodium being highly hygroscopic in nature absorbs moisture from atmosphere that softens the jaggery and makes it mushy.
The sulphur-based chemicals (sulfoxylate) leads to increase in sulphurdi-oxide residue in jaggery. Ortho-phosphoric acid is also used as bleaching agent and when it exceeds the limits, it is harmful.
Use vegetable clarificants
CFTRI, Mysuru, has recommended the use of vegetable clarificants as alternative to chemicals.
Indiscriminate use of the chemicals is not only harmful for consumption but also reduces the shelf life of the product forcing the farmers to distress sales within a week from processing, irrespective of the prevailing price in the market, says the report.
The demand for jaggery was usually based on colour. Jaggery with light golden yellow colour and firm hardness fetched more price in comparison to other varieties. The next preferred colours were kesari and golden yellow. Dark brown coloured jaggery had the least demand, which the report says in the main reason for chemical additives. On an average, price difference of ₹100 to ₹500 per quintal was found between different varieties of jaggery based on variation in colour and shape.
India accounts for over 70% of the total global jaggery production. India exports jaggery to many countries, including Bangladesh, the U.K., Canada, Chile, Egypt, Fiji, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Nepal, and the U.S.
Sep 3, 2017
ஆத்தூரில் சமையல் ஆயில் ஆலைக்கு 'சீல்': 28 ஆயிரம் லிட்டர் கலப்பட எண்ணெய் பறிமுதல்
ஆத்தூர்: ஆத்தூரில், கலப்பட சமையல் எண்ணெய் தயாரித்த ஆலைக்கு, அதிகாரிகள், 'சீல்' வைத்தனர்.
சேலம் மாவட்டம், ஆத்தூர், முல்லைவாடியில் கலப்பட எண்ணெய் தயாரித்து விற்பதாக, கலெக்டர் ரோகிணிக்கு புகார் சென்றது. அவரது உத்தரவுப்படி, நேற்று, இரவு, 7:00 மணிக்கு, தாசில்தார் கேசவன், துணை தாசில்தார் ஜீவானந்தம், ஆர்.ஐ., கண்ணையன் உள்ளிட்ட அலுவலர்கள் ஆய்வு செய்தனர். அதில், 'திவ்யா டிரேடர்ஸ்' ஆயில் நிறுவனத்தில் ஆய்வு செய்தபோது, மூன்று டேங்கரில், 28 ஆயிரம் லிட்டர் கலப்பட எண்ணெய் பதுக்கியதும், அதன் உரிமையாளர் நடேசன், 55, என்பதும் தெரியவந்தது. சூரிய காந்தி, கடலை, எள் மூலம் தயார் செய்த எண்ணெய் என, கேன்களில் ஸ்டிக்கர் ஒட்டப்பட்டிருந்தது. மூன்று கோடி ரூபாய் மதிப்பிலான, 28 ஆயிரம் லிட்டர் கலப்பட எண்ணெய்யை, அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். அதே குடோனில், இருந்த தரமற்ற, 3,600 குளிர்பான பாட்டில்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன. தொடர்ந்து, ஆலைக்கு வருவாய்த்துறை அதிகாரிகள், 'சீல்' வைத்தனர். தாசில்தார் கேசவன் கூறுகையில், ''அனுமதி பெறாத இடத்தில், வாசனை, நிறம் இல்லாத கலப்பட ஆயில் பதுக்கி வைத்திருந்ததால், ஆலைக்கு சீல் வைத்தோம். உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் ஆய்வு செய்து, மேல்நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க உத்தரவிடப்பட்டுள்ளது,'' என்றார்.
FSSAI silent on additives’ limit
Hyderabad: The Food and Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has not specified the permissible limit in the new list of additives, which are used as smoothening agents, preservatives, colours and taste enhancers.
Both natural and synthetic additives are used for preserving and taste-enhancing. They are also used for making the food appealing.
The FSSAI unveiled the new list of additives recently, which covered new set of additives used in ready-to-eat foods, cookies and confectionaries.
In 2016, the comprehensive list of additives was issued the central agency.
Mr Ashwin Bhadri, a food analyst, explained, “Each additive has different functions. There are various combinations of additives used in foods and most of us consume them daily. Some help maintain the texture, while others make the food smooth.”
Presentation and the storing nature of the food decide the amount of additives. Another food analyst, on condition of anonymity, said, “Presently, FSSAI is insisting on good manufacturing practices. The new list is silent on the permissible range.”
Hyderabad: Packaged foods flout salt norms
The study was conducted on products approved by the Food and Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).
Quillaia extracts are used as foaming agent in puddings, soft drinks and also dairy products.
Hyderabad: Compliance of nutrient labelling in terms of salt on packaged food products is low, according to a study published in Nutrition and Health.
The study was conducted on products approved by the Food and Safety Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).
As per the guidelines of the FSSAI, the salt content was tabulated. However, the compliance level was low.
The study covered 11 large retail chains and was found that salt content was high in sauces, spreads and convenience foods.
Rehmat Fatima, a nutritionist, said, “Convenience foods have a higher salt content as they are stored. To maintain the nutrient value, texture and colour, salt content added to them is higher. Many studies have shown that salt content in them ranges from 800 mg to 1,355 mg per 100 gm.”
In sauces and spreads it ranges from 800 mg to 2,000 mg per 100 gm. The traditional food items like pickles, parathas and chutneys also contain a high amount of salt.
A senior FSSAI official pointed out, “The guidelines are being framed to cover foods which have a short shelf life. But controlling products with long shelf life is a task. We have to hold talks with food manufacturers and device a plan.”
As far as food producers are concerned, controlling the salt level is a major task. Sunil Aggarwal, a food producer in the city, said, “There is a need to bring about a change in the preparation of foods with long shelf life. They require different types of packaging materials which are not available. The compliance level will improve once different methods are introduced.”
Suneetha Premlatha, another nutritionist, noted, “Reading labels requires scientific knowledge about the making of foods. Many consumers check the salt and fat levels before picking up products. But they also need to check the serving size on the label as it will give an idea of the total calories and grams consumed per serving.”
The unorganised food production market constitutes a 70 per cent of the total segment. Since it does not come under the lens of the authorities, awareness is the only option left.
Your Protein Shake Could Be Harming Your Fitness
Fake supplements dominate the market.
When my father first started working out and weight training he did so at home. I used to sit on the couch and laugh (not something I'm proud of). He would then challenge me to do an exercise and I would be able to do it quite easily. I would then promptly go back to the couch. Then I went to college in Kochi, and while I was there, he continued to work out and even joined a gym.
One day, when I'd come back to Mumbai for my semester break, I decided to tag along when he went to the gym. I fully expected to easily match the weights he was capable of lifting. I have never been more wrong about anything! My almost 50-year-old father was easily thrice as strong as 22-year-old me! That was enough motivation (or humiliation, I'm not sure) for me to start working out and, like almost everyone else who works out, I also started taking protein and other dietary supplements.
According to an ASSOCHAM report, a whopping 60-70% of the dietary supplements sold in India are fake, counterfeit, unregistered and unapproved.
After starting foodnetindia, I wrote a lot of articles about trans-fat, sugar, and other food safety issues, but when I came across reports of widespread adulteration of dietary supplements, I realised that this is a pretty big food safety issue, especially since more and more people, especially teenagers and young adults, are working out and trying to get fit. According to a report by the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), about 78% of adolescents in urban India daily consume dietary supplements of some kind. This has led to a huge rise in the demand for these supplements. According to a report in the Economic Times, the whey protein industry will grow by 22% between 2014 and 2020. The ASSOCHAM report estimates that the supplement industry as a whole will double in size in the same period. Unfortunately, along with the rise in demand, comes a rise in adulteration and counterfeiting.
According to the ASSOCHAM report, a whopping 60-70% of the dietary supplements sold in India are fake, counterfeit, unregistered and unapproved. That means that if you buy 10 boxes of whey protein powder in a year, six or seven of them are fake!
In 2014, the Hindustan Times published a report about the supplement adulteration problem in Punjab. The report quoted a food safety officer who said that as the government has not fixed parameters for many food items, people take advantage of the loopholes. The report also noted that some of the counterfeit products so closely resemble the originals that it is almost impossible to distinguish between the two. I have come across some articles that give out some pointers on how to identify fake protein powders, but I can't vouch for their accuracy. One blog on Healthkart recommends tests such as checking the labels and manufacturing dates for errors, checking to see if the seal has been tampered with, checking the hologram sticker, etc. Unfortunately, none of these are foolproof ways to identify fake supplements.
Fake supplements are a serious food safety issue, not least because they affect adolescents and young adults the most.
Fake supplements are a serious food safety issue, not least because they affect adolescents and young adults the most. Given the fact that the supplement industry is relatively young in India, the long-term side effects of these products may not be known for a long time. The government and supplement manufacturers need to come up with a regulatory framework to deal with this problem. If they don't, a lot of young people may get very sick!
Barking up the wrong tree: Why the debate on eating dog meat in India (and globally) is hypocritical Why does the eating of dog meat arouse disgust and clauses of morality?
Discussions around the consumption of dog meat almost invariably revolve around issues of cruelty and barbarism. This is seen every year in the international outrage over the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China. Consumption of dog meat in other countries like South Korea is also frowned upon and has often come under attack. In recent years, the consumption of dog meat in North East India has also caught the attention of animal rights activists.
The debate picked up again in August, when the police arrested two people from the North East living in Delhi’s Vasant Kunj area for allegedly killing a dog, “to eat its meat”.
The consumption of dog meat in Nagaland, where many consider it a delicacy, first came in the spotlight in 2016, when a legal notice was sent to the state government seeking a ban on the sale of the meat. The state reportedly did contemplate taking such a step, though it is yet to materialise.
Pictures of the super market in Dimapur city, where the meat is sold, started doing the rounds and tourists, journalists and activists began to frequent the market to highlight the alleged inhumane practices involved in the dog meat trade. Images of dog meat being sold in Nagaland and footage of dogs being slaughtered for consumption are used animal rights activists to portray consumers of dog meat as abusive, and inhumane. The message being sent is that those who ate dog meat are evil torturers and savages with no conscience.
Canine concerns
Another debate on canines in India centres on stray dogs. Defined as pests and looked at as a danger to society, stray dogs are a bane for citizens and municipal corporations in many cities. Besides introducing sterilisation, rescue, and rehabilitation programmes, many cities have chosen to deal with the growing stray dog population euthanizing in hundreds.
In 2015, a BBC report on the stray dog “menace” in urban India said that in Tamil Nadu alone, more than 100,000 cases of dog bites had been registered. In neighbouring Kerala, dog catchers had resorted to extreme measures, such as injecting stray dogs with potassium cyanide, to kill them the report said. A recent Times of India report, talking about stray dogs in Porvorim, said that residents of the Goa town had become “victims” of the canines and were being “harassed” by them.
As early as 1860, the Chennai Municipal Corporation took up initiatives to eliminate dogs. By the 1996, 136 dogs were killed daily by state authorities in Tamil Nadu, and the 2013 Chennai Municipal Corporation plan to send dogs to pound houses started another series of debates between animal rights activists and the authorities about human societies’ growing intolerance towards street dogs, and the cruel ways being taken to make these animals invisible from our lives.
Odd proposals
Given the resentment against stray dogs in urban India, law makers have proposed various methods to address the issue. In 2012, a solution was submitted by a member of the Punjab Assembly, Ajit Singh Mofar. The Congress politician proposed that all the stray dogs in Punjab should be sent to Nagaland, Mizoram, and to China for, “whatever they do to the dog,”. He further stated, “We cannot be really bothered what that is. We have to solve our problem first. Stray dogs are killing children, attacking the elderly”. As one might expect, this statement caused an uproar, but this would not be the last time such a proposal was made.
It has been reported that state human rights commissions and local bodies like the panchayats in Kerala have also suggested exporting dog meat to China, South Korea and other countries where it is consumed.
So, on the one hand, you have stray dogs who are looked at as dangerous, posing serious concerns, and even labelled as encroachers in urban India. Yet, on the other hand, conversations about dog meat as a delightful meal are unthinkable. The subject of dog meat merges disgust and a grey area of legality. Thinking of dog meat as part of a food system, or linking it to larger issues of food culture or taste, does not cross the minds of many Indians. That is the reason why, although stray dogs are defined as pests and killed by state authorities every day, it is morally incomprehensible to label them as a food choice.
This calls for a debate on dog meat consumption in India (as well as other countries). Why is it that certain culinary practices are seen as cruel and savage, while others are considered appropriate in human society? Why mobilise for the banning of dog meat in India, which, to borrow from Michaela DeSoucey’s argument in her book on the debate over Foie Gras consumption, “has little to no impact on the nation’s diet or commerce, and not for chicken, beef, pork… (or homelessness or crime, for that matter)”?
This is not to argue against the cruel treatment or painful slaughter of animals, allegations of which abound in the context of the Yulin festival as well as the meat markets in Nagaland. The focus, rather, is on why dog meat consumption is considered savage, barbaric and even inhuman, even as other animals are consumed in India and the world.
Dog meat is widely consumed in parts of North East India and there is no formal regulation that regulates the dog meat market. There are no laws about consuming feral animals such as street dogs, pigs, goats, rabbits, or monkeys.
In an article for Raiot, advocate Sira Kharay explains that there is no direct legal provision banning dog meat cosumption in the country. This why every time someone is arrested for eating dog meat in India, they are charged legal provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Indian Penal Code. However, as Kharay argues, it is unclear how this can be qualified as an offence. What remains unclear, as advocate Sira Kharay explains in an article for Raiot, is the concept of cruelty:
“Killing of stray dogs for ‘human consumption’ is nowhere else defined as crime in the Indian Penal Code, 1860. What is prohibited under Sections 428 and 429 of the Act is “mischief” against animals. To attract the two penal provisions, first, the ‘act of killing’ must constitute a ‘mischief’ as defined under Section 425 of the Act and second, to constitute a ‘mischief’, the act must be done ‘with intention to cause wrongful loss/damage to the public/person’ and there has to be ‘actual cause of destruction/change/diminishing of utility of the property’...But killing of stray dogs ‘with intention’ to ‘consume as meat’ can by no stretch of imagination be considered as an act of ‘mischief’ ‘with intention to cause wrongful loss to any person/public’ as defined and more so because the economic idea of ‘loss’ can hardly be associated with the loss of life of a stray dog.
With regard to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Kharay says: “The point is not to argue that ‘cruelty’ to animals must be glorified, but that every act of killing of animal does not amount to ‘cruelty’. What is material is the ‘purpose’ in determining what amounts to ‘cruelty’ in law and not in fact.”
Unless dog meat is seen as food and there are regulations pertaining to safety and hygiene, including clear guidelines for humane slaughter, the matter of putting this dish on the plate will remain a legally grey area.
Therefore, in 2016, after the Nagaland government was served a legal notice to ban the slaughter and consumption of dog meat, the state’s Municipal Affairs Department went on an overdrive. State officials requested that the Dimapur Municipal Council oversee the matter of banning dog meat in the city.
However, this order unravelled the urban development and governance system in Nagaland. Matters of regulating the dog meat market highlighted the challenges of managing a conflict city. There has been no municipal election in Nagaland since 2006. Therefore, officials overseeing the municipal functions in Dimapur with a population of 400,000 people are ad-hoc political appointees. They struggle to keep up with basic functions like garbage collection and maintenance of the sewage system and are barely able to manage the crumbling infrastructure such as water supply, drainage, and the increasing cases of land encroachments by land mafia, the municipality had little time and few resources to spend on animal welfare. Dimapur Municipal Council eventually dropped the matter and did not pursue it, but a vibrant conversation about banning and consuming dog meat took place across Northeast India and beyond.
Question of care
Even though a large number of animals in the food system are subjected to cruelty in India, the call to ban dog meat in 2016 was a strategic one. It touched upon the interests of social groups who increasingly see dogs as pets and a lifestyle choice in urban India. The Indian pet industry is expected to grow at a rate of 10-15% in the near future. The rise of accessories, dog saloons, and food was escalating as more urban residents were adopting dogs as pets across India. This leads us towards understanding relationships about human value, vulnerability, and connections with animals.
The connection between dog and human is considered to be a long-lasting and deeply social one. Humans have developed strong attachments to their pets, particularly dogs and cats, who are looked at as companions, friends, caregivers, and family members.
But the moral issues connected to the consumption of dog meat in India have far-reaching consequences. Besides routine arrests of people from Northeast India who are caught killing stray dogs for consumption in metropolitan cities across India, it labels a dietary choice as disgusting and repugnant. A Naga migrant who worked in a retail store in New Delhi told me that she ate her lunch alone after she had been regularly humiliated by her colleagues about the dog eating culture in Naga society. “One day I was so angry I told them yes, yes, we also eat human beings. We are cannibals!” Consumption becomes connected to the identity and culture of the consumer.
During a conversation in July 2016 about the proposal to ban the sale of dog meat, the president of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty against Animals Dimapur District, Mr N Joseph Lemtur said, “It is not being taught from the school or church, it is cultural. We have become habituated to eat dogs; this is very unlucky. So at this juncture, animal activists like the SPCA are campaigning against it”.
It is important to recognise how the culture card is applied to legitimise certain practices, and that homogeneity is carelessly assumed among a cultural group. Acts of cruelty and torturing animals is not a cultural practice, neither is branding the eclectic eating habit of two million Nagas in Nagaland. The reality is that a large number of Naga households do not eat dog meat and many more refrain from eating wild animals, silkworms, water insects, ferns and mushrooms, all considered to be delicacies in Naga society. Nevertheless, the ongoing debate about the consumption of dog meat is framed by cultural practices and ideas about civilisation and cruelty.
Moral minefield
Dogs mean different things in Naga society: pets, companions, food, medicine, guards, spirit sensors, thief catchers and cat chasers. They also feature centrally in the most famous origin myth about the Naga script, which is connected to identity and language. According to legend, a dog ate the Naga script written down on animal skin, and from that day onwards, Naga tradition and knowledge has only been received and shared orally. The relationship between dogs and people in Naga society is an intimate one, and is integral part to everyday lives. Dog meat has been part of Naga cuisine for a long time, yet, before dishes started to appear on restaurant menus and before vendors starting selling the meat in the market place, there was no debate or national campaign to ban dog meat.
In contemporary India, the language of animal rights that triggered the dog meat debate is strongly rooted in a class and caste framework. Unlike the cow, which is regarded as holy and therefore banned as a food item in some parts of India, or the tiger and Amur falcon campaigns based on saving the animals from extinction, the dog meant debate rests on a framework of care and love.This is leaky politics. This debate about eating man’s “best friend” is a moral minefield where meanings of acceptable dietary practices are fluid and ambiguous and the logic of barbarism is juxtaposed with love and compassion.
Who is best capable of loving a dog? What are the dilemmas for dog eaters in India? The politics around which animals deserve protection has become an arena to discuss issues of ethics and justice between humans and animals in India. It is predominately an urban issue. Concern about stray animals, selling certain meats in public view, and animal welfare generally appear when an urban area is desperate to clean up its act; to be taken more seriously as a place for investment, tourism, and in the case of Dimapur, peace.
The exceptional attention dogs have received in urban India as vulnerable beings, in comparison to squirrels, pigs, or monkeys, tells us about the distinct language of value in metropolitan India. In this language, dog meat betrays a civilisational deficit. It reflects notions of a far off place where ethics, justice, and care are lacking. For authorities in Nagaland there is an aggressive drive to sanitise cities like Dimapur of pests like stray dogs as part of a general mindset of being more metropolitan; more like other cities in India.
And while passionate activists stand up for vulnerable dogs, extraordinary laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act give the armed forces with the right to kill and detain humans throughout Nagaland and other parts of the North East India on mere suspicion.
So, if dog meat consumption symbolises cruelty on the one hand but is also a part of local food habits on the other, what should be the way forward? Perhaps a useful way to think about it is to consider how the resistance towards the consumption of dog meat in India opens up the complex battle for configuring spaces of governance, ethics and authority between citizens and street dogs in India. It draws us towards the realm of engaging with contested issues of consumption, but more importantly, calls for legal regulations to be put in place that clearly lays out the guidelines for eating feral animals.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)