Nov 3, 2017
FSSAI launches comprehensive IT platform for uniform regulation of food standards
A decade after India introduced a single nationwide law - the Food Safety and Standards Act - to maintain uniform standards for food items in the country, the authority that implements the law, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has come out with a comprehensive plan to make it work, in letter and spirit.
It has developed a uniform operational manual for its field official, launched an IT platform to do digital inspections and a nationwide network of all food testing labs on a single technology platform, Indian Food Laboratory Network (InFoLNet), in Delhi.
While the single nationwide manual for Food Safety Officers (FSOs) is expected to help them follow uniform practices and procedures across the country, the leverage of digital and smart technologies is meant to bring an end to arbitrariness and adhocism in inspections and sampling. The new digital platform, Food Safety Compliance through Regular Inspections and Sampling (FoSCoRIS), replaces manual inspections with digital inspections. It uses simple mobile devices with dashboards to monitor, on real-time basis, at the district, state and national level. For consistency, standard matrices have been developed for inspection of various kinds of food businesses. FoSCoRIS is to ensure a consistent experience to food businesses across States and UTs, thereby building their confidence in the regulatory environment, an FSSAI statement said.
For credible and efficient food testing for food businesses, a nationwide network of all food testing labs on a single technology platform, Indian Food Laboratory Network (InFoLNet), has also been launched. This would bring in much desired standardisation in food testing, that is 'one food product, one set of parameters and one parameter one test method', the agency said. Several measures towards trade facilitation, including a single window clearance fully integrated with Custom Authorities and risk-based inspection, have been adopted. To ensure hassle free imports, a 'Manual for Food Imports' has also been developed.
All these tools are part of the Food Regulatory Portal, a full service, business-friendly portal for food businesses that focuses on six key areas viz. food standards; consistent enforcement; hassle free food imports; credible food testing; codified food safety practices; and training and capacity building. "This would prove to be a game changer by addressing food business concerns across the spectrum by ensuring ease of entry; reduced burden of compliance and facilitating trade", FSSAI says.
To ensure consistency and predictability of business environment, a nationwide uniform law, the Food Safety and Standards Act was enacted in 2006. While this law had envisioned a single reference point for laws on food across the nation, its implementation across the States & UTs has not always been uniform due to legacy issues, leading to business uncertainties. Further, even at the national level, a few specific issues continue to be looked after by different ministries / agencies such as legal metrology, customs, plant and animal quarantine, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and AGMARK. The launch of the Food Regulatory Portal is thus a major development, as it creates a robust environment for uniform implementation of the law across States / UTs and coordinated approach across central agencies, leading to a transparent and enabling business environment, FSSAI states.
While FSSAI is the principal regulatory body for food, six other agencies are also involved for specific purposes. To ensure a single point of references for all food related business compliances, the Food Regulatory Portal also has compiled related information and links to other national agencies in the food safety ecosystem such as Legal Metrology, Customs, Plant and Animal Quarantine, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and AGMARK. An institutional mechanism for interagency coordination and cooperation and integrated grievance redressal is also on the anvil, the statement said.
FSSAI launches Food Regulatory Portal
FSSAI believes that this portal will prove to be a game changer by addressing food business concerns across the spectrum by ensuring ease of entry; reduced burden of compliance and facilitating trade.
New Delhi: Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has today launched the Food Regulatory Portal, a single interface for food business, which will help transparent implementation of the food laws in the country, said the food authority in a statement
According to the statement, the Food Regulatory Portal is a full service portal for food business that focuses on six key areas including food standards, consistent enforcement, hassle free food imports, credible food testing, codified food safety practices and training and capacity building.
FSSAI believes that this portal will prove to be a game changer by addressing food business concerns across the spectrum by ensuring ease of entry; reduced burden of compliance and facilitating trade.
Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog who launched the portal termed the development as a key milestone in India's regulatory reforms.
“FSSAI’s efforts towards consistency and transparency in enforcement and ease of doing business in the food regulatory environment would garner the confidence of all stakeholders involved.”
While FSSAI is the principal regulatory body for food, six other agencies are also involved for specific purposes. To ensure a single point of references for all food related business compliances, the Food Regulatory Portal has also compiled related information and links to other national agencies in the food safety ecosystem such as Legal Metrology, Customs, Plant and Animal Quarantine, Bureau of Indian Standards and AGMARK. An institutional mechanism for interagency coordination and cooperation and integrated grievance redressal is also on the anvil.
"The Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 unified 9 existing laws into a single Act and laid the legal ground for One Nation, One Food Law. Eleven years later, the Food Regulatory Portal launched today lays a solid foundation for uniform implementation of this law, and will go down in history as another memorable milestone," Pawan Agarwal, CEO of FSSAI said.
Another product of Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali found unsafe by food department
Lucknow: The famous Yoga guru Baba Ramdev and his popular brand Patanjali today landed in trouble after one of its product has been found not up to the mark by the officials of Food department in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district.
According to Pediatrician District Hospital Barabanki, Dr S.K Singh says that this product has proved failure in investigation, after which a penalty has been imposed on company and on shopkeeper who was selling this famous product.
Basically, food department in its report mentioned that one of Patanjali’s product has been found below standard and some harmful content has been found in double quantity from its required amount.
The Chief Food Inspector Barabanki said that incident of harmful content in its double quantity proves that Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali each and every product is not safe for consumption and we should not trust it blindly.
Earlier, Patanjali Ayurved Ltd has been slapped with a Rs. 11 lakh fine by a city court for misbranding and misrepresentation of its products. The fine has to be paid within a month.
The case had been ongoing since November 2012. The judge, Lalit Narain Mishra, found that the company was guilty of “releasing misleading advertisements by selling certain products with its labels although they were being manufactured by some other firm.”
Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali product lands in trouble after facing food department’s ban:
The company was charged under Section 52 (misbranding) and Section 53 (misleading advertisement) of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 as well as Section 23.1 (5) of Food Safety and Standard (Packaging and Labelling Regulations, 2011) Act.
The court also ordered the district food safety department to “take appropriate action if there is no improvement in the products in future.”
The case was filed against the company in November 2012 by District Food Safety Department when some of the products, including eatables like honey, salt, mustard oil, jam and besan (gram flour) failed quality tests. Tests were conducted at Uttarakhand’s only FSSAI-certified drugs and food testing lab located at Rudrapur.
In July, Advertising Standards Council of India or ASCI had pulled up the company for running “misleading” ad campaigns which made light of competitors’ products, which is against the ASCI norms.
Patanjali’s claim that rivals were making “‘Kachi Ghani Mustard Oil’ “adulterated with oil made by solvent extraction process with neurotoxin containing Hexane” was found unsubstantiated by the Consumer Complaints Council.
The company had also failed to prove that other companies sell “expensive juices containing less pulp”. It also failed to prove that “other companies mix 3 to 4 per cent urea and other non-edible things in their cattle feed,” compared to their ‘Patanjali Dugdhamrut’ cattle feed.
DB expresses displeasure on JMC’s response; directs Action Plan by Nov 8
Jammu, Nov 2: In a significant order a Division Bench of the State High Court comprising Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Tashi Rabastan today in the open court expressed its dissatisfaction over the response filed by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a NGO SAVE (Save Animal Value Environment) through its Chairperson Devinder Kaur Madaan alias Rumpy Madaan seeking closure of 59 un-registered dairies running within the limits of JMC. The Division Bench headed by Justice Alok Ardahe directed Advocate Sachin Gupta appearing for JMC to take appropriate instructions from JMC before the next date of hearing over the issues highlighted in the PIL and also directed him to come out with an Action Plan for addressing the concern expressed in the PIL.
After hearing Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed with Advocates Rahul Raina and Supriya Chouhan appearing for the PIL whereas Advocate Sachin Gupta appearing for JMC and Advocate Amita Khajuria appearing for Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Justice Alok Aradhe for the Division Bench in the open court observed that reply filed by the JMC is totally silent over the issues raised in the PIL. The court further observed that there is no indication in the reply about the milk dairies which have not come forward for registration as per the norms of the JMC and further the reply is conspicuous about the action taken against the dairies which are un-registered. The Division Bench further expressed displeasure over the non-adherence to the provisions of Section 44 (n) of the Jammu Municipal Corporation Act, 2000 wherein the JMC is under a statutory obligation to regulate the functioning of the milk dairies.
After considering the submissions of Advocate S.S. Ahmed, the Division Bench headed by Justice Alok Aradhe directed Advocate Sachin Gupta appearing for JMC to obtain instructions in the matter and also file an Action Plan before the next date with regard to the issues highlighted in the PIL. The Division Bench also directed Advocate Amita Khajuria appearing for Food Safety and Standards Authority of India to file response to the PIL before the next date of hearing.
Nov 2, 2017
Food Safety: On every menu in India
Last few decades not only witnessed a change in our eating habits but how we store and consume food has also gone through a transformation. Rise in population and urbanisation has led to an increased demand for packaged food.\With the increase in working population, the need for on-the-go consumption has only gone up. At the same time, awareness about nutrition and health has become much stronger and penetrated deep into Indian consumers’ minds. On the regulatory side, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been spreading awareness about issues related to food safety across the country, while also strengthening legislation to ensure that only safe food is made available to consumers, both by the producer as well as the industry.
FSSAI has also moved to a more comprehensive approach towards food safety instead of the erstwhile fragmented one. “You will see a quantum jump in the level of public confidence in food safety. As far as product standards are concerned, I can confidently say that we have a reasonably robust system,” says Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI.
Though Food Safety and Standards Act has completed 11 years of its enactment this year, FSSAI as an autonomous body was set up in 2008. And since then, the body has taken upon itself the challenge of creating a regulatory environment different from other countries, yet fit for the nuances of India. Compromised quality, increasing adulteration cases and instances of product integrity issues pose serious challenges to food safety.
Such issues can cause irreparable damage not just to individual health, but also to the reputation of brands that manufacture and market these products. With the advent of social media, companies have become even more prone to scrutiny, both from the government and from consumers as well.
There have been recent incidents of below-par food reaching the consumer and videos of the same spreading through social media have been widely circulated. Food safety therefore is the top concern of food and beverage manufacturers. And technology is playing a big role in ensuring that the product integrity is not compromised at any point during the value chain.
Tetra Pak India is one of the organizations that is leading the charge on making food safe and available to millions of Indians across the country. Their UHT (Ultra-High-Temperature) process and aseptic packaging systems kick-started the growth of UHT milk segment and other packaged drinks in India three decades ago. This technology eliminated the need for a cold chain during distribution, making fresh safe milk accessible to even the most remote and hard-to-reach areas across the country. The combination of UHT and aseptic packaging ensures that the food inside a carton is first ‘made’ safe and then ‘kept’ safe till it reaches the consumer.
But the challenge in a country as diverse as India does not end with creating the right solution. An even bigger challenge is to raise consumer awareness about the benefits of this technology. And that is one big focus area for Tetra Pak India.
Tetra Pak launched its 'Right to Keep Food Safe' initiative in October 2014. As part of the initiative, 15 mothers were selected as Safe Food Ambassadors (SFAs) who went on to drive the cause and spread the word about safe food practices.
Over the course of the campaign, Tetra Pak’s SFAs reached out to over 3,000 mothers across the country through workshops, seminars and social media platforms.
A recent digital campaign called 'Safe for Sure' educates consumers about the technology behind a carton of milk that makes it safe for consumption. The campaign drives home the message that UHT treated milk in six-layer Tetra Pak cartons is safe and needs no preservatives. This campaign has seen huge traction from consumers because it breaks many popular myths that surround carton milk and its safety.
Latest in the list of awareness initiatives is a campaign called ‘Safe and Nutritious Food’ which is being run jointly by FSSAI with support from Tetra Pak. Aimed at reaching out to children, their parents and teachers and arm them with information on the right nutrition choices and food safety, this campaign has reached out to over 100 schools, RWAs and other locations across South Delhi and Gurugram through interactive workshops.
“We are excited to be a part of this initiative with FSSAI. At Tetra Pak, together with our customers our most important agenda is to make food safe and available everywhere. Through campaigns like this, we intend to equip consumers with the right information on subjects like UHT milk and the benefits of aseptic technology that make carton milk safe and nutritious so that consumers can make informed choices,” says Tetra Pak’s MD for India, Kandarp Singh.
However, the application of technology in food safety goes beyond just the package and is impacting the F&B industry in more ways than one can imagine.
Take the example of how Tetra Pak is using digital technologies to support its F&B customers and brand owners. The term digitalisation may be rather broad, and may sound like an industry ‘buzzword’, but when applied wisely, it is in fact a mature, real and extremely disruptive solution for food and beverage manufacturers to mitigate food safety risks and help drive business growth.
Digitalisation is helping manufacturers manage these risks more effectively with a range of tools aimed at improving communications between employees and support teams, and improving access to data and analytics. This means that if food safety issues arise they can be resolved quickly and effectively without impacting production performance.
“At the core of everything we do at Tetra Pak is our vision to make food safe and available, everywhere. The Tetra Pak digital strategy, and digitalisation tools are making a difference to our customers’ daily operations and helping keep food safe,” added Kandarp Singh.
One key element of keeping product integrity intact, is to have full view of the product throughout the various processes. And this is being made possible using tools like the Tetra Pak PlantMaster which allows Tetra Pak experts to take full ownership of the product and ensure that it remains safe throughout the lifecycle.
Be it during production, processing, packaging or even distribution, food is an extremely fragile product to work with. The most minor error can cost consumers their health and can cost brands millions and even their reputation. As the proliferation of food brands in India increases, there is also need for greater diligence in ensuring that the food that reaches us is safe and of the best possible quantity. At the end of the day, it’s a collective responsibility for manufacturers and brand owners to bring the best to the consumer, and it is up to the consumer to make the best and most informed decision.
FSSAI plans ‘one nation, one food safety law’
Food safety regulator FSSAI seeks to standardize surveillance, sampling, inspection and testing across states to increase transparency
New Delhi: The concept of ‘one-nation, one-tax’ behind the goods and services tax (GST) implemented across the country seems to be influencing other organisations. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country’s apex food regulator, is working on a ‘one-nation, one-food-safety-law’ so that every state-level food authority follows a standard practice for the implementation, compliance and surveillance of food safety regulations, which in turn will ensure smoother operations for food companies.
“The law has always been same for everyone. But there have been consistency issues at state level. Also, we need to standardize food testing laboratories. With ‘one-nation, one-food-safety-law’, we will be able to remove those and make things more transparent,” said Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI.
Under the ‘one-nation, one food-safety-law’ regime, state-level food safety officers will have to follow a 10-point code-of-ethics set by FSSAI. “At present, there is no such thing, and food safety officers across states do things the way they think best. This should not be the practice. We need to standardize this,” said Agarwal.
Under the regime, FSSAI wants to erase discrepancies in food safety regulations across states, and standardize surveillance, sampling and inspection. “This is to enable states with good practices,” said Agarwal. Under the new regime, inspection and sampling will be monitored as everything will be “on the cloud” as part of the agenda to increase transparency, he added.
To bring consistency in food testing, FSSAI is introducing guidelines that food testing laboratories will have to abide by. Under the draft norms, laboratories will have to come under the Indian Food Laboratory Network (InFoLNet), a digital solution to connect all food labs in India to a centralised lab management system.
So far, 154 laboratories have listed on InFoLNet. FSSAI has made this compulsory for all FSSAI-notified laboratories. With this, details of all tests and the results will be available on this platform.
“In the past, there have been questions regarding authenticity of tests done by certain laboratories. Besides upgrading the laboratories, InFoLNet will abolish the discrepancies and ensure transparency,” said Agarwal.
The regulator, which owns and operates two laboratories and has approved 82 others in various states, allocated Rs482 crore earlier this year to strengthen the food testing infrastructure, including upgrading and modernizing laboratories. Besides, FSSAI will also set up 62 mobile testing labs. There are currently four mobile food testing labs in Punjab, Gujarat, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
In 2015, FSSAI questioned safety standards of Swiss packaged food company Nestle India Ltd’s Maggi instant noodles based on reports by one of its testing laboratories in Kolkata, prompting questions about the capacity and state of the laboratory.
Under the new regime, the food regulator also wants to abolish intervention of multiple agencies for things such as import of food products. Going forward, there will be a single standard for every authority.
FSSAI all set to launch ‘One Nation, One Food Law’
To use tech for uniform testing, sampling norms across States
In a bid to bring in consistency in enforcing food safety regulations and standards across States, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is set to launch its ‘One Nation One Food Law’ initiative. The regulator is leveraging technology for uniform implementation of norms for testing and sampling by various States and labs.
“We want to ensure that investors and food businesses have a consistent positive experience across States while dealing with the regulatory environment,” Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, told BusinessLine.
He said while there is one food law that outlines standards and procedures for various food products, States have different approaches to implementing these regulations due to legacy issues or infrastructure-related challenges.
“Through these initiatives, we are enabling States to adopt good practices as well as help them build capacities to ensure that standards and regulations are enforced uniformly,” he added.
Under this initiative, FSSAI is launching the Food Safety Compliance through Regular Inspections and Sampling (FoSCoRIS) platform. This is an online platform that food safety officers will use to verify compliance of safety standards by food businesses. Food safety officers will require a hand-held device with Internet connectivity.
“This platform will ensure that uniform matrices are used to conduct tests and sample collections. The entire inspection outcome will be available on the cloud through this platform with time stamps. This will hopefully bring transparency in the process as data related to inspection, sampling and test results will be seamlessly shared by the officials,” he added.
FSSAI is also bringing out a Food Safety Officers Manual outlining the procedures and practices that must be followed during sampling and inspection. The 200-page manual also outlines code of ethics that food safety officers should follow during inspection and sampling.Regulatory portal
Meanwhile, in a bid to enable better co-ordination among national agencies such as Bureau of Indian Standards, Agmark and Legal Metrology, the FSSAI has also launched a food regulatory portal.
To make food safety testing infrastructure more robust, the regulator has launched a digital solution that will connect all the government and private food labs to a centralised lab management system called InFoLNet (Indian Food Laboratory Network).Over 154 labs have registered with this platform, Agarwal said, adding that this will ensure that all the test results are available in a central database. FSSAI intends to make it mandatory for all accredited labs to be connected to the platform and is in the process of finalising the necessary regulations.
The FSSAI is also in talks with food safety commissioners to launch a food safety index to measure and rank the performance of States on various parameters, in a bid to encourage States to focus on good practices.
HC moved to stop sale of substandard liquor in TN
Moving a public interest litigation (PIL) in the high court, V Sriraman and his friend advocate Vijay have sought the court to direct the authorities concerned to prevent sale of substandard liquor in Tasmac outlets and take action against officials responsible for such sales.
The petitioners also wanted the court to pass an interim direction to stop sale of liquor is such outlets and direct food safety officials to take random samples and produce laboratory reports in the court.
On March 23, the petitioner and his friends suffered vomiting and diarrhoea after they consumed two brands of white rum bought from a Tasmac outlet in Koyambedu.
Subsequently, he lodged a complaint with the food safety department and samples of Ancient Cask Premium XXX Rum were sent to laboratory for analysis. On June 20, the petitioner received a letter from the department with the analysis report which said that the sample was found to be substandard.
"To counter check, we sent the sample of Ancient Cask Premium XXX Rum and Bacardi Limon Rum to Chennai Mettex lab, in Guindy, an NABL-accredited laboratory. The report revealed that the sample of Ancient Cask contained 815 counts of acid which should not exceed 200 as per IS 3811-2005 (requirement for white rum). Similarly, report of Bacardi rum revealed that residue on evaporation % (m/v) resulted in 6.98% which should not exceed 1.0 & total acids resulted to 550 which shouldn't exceed 200," the petitioner said.
The petitioner further pointed out the news report in TOI published under the title, 'Gulpit! No quality check at Tasmac shops for 14 years' and said, "In the news report a food safety official had said that the department cannot conduct random checks unlike other products as there were legal issues over whether alcoholic beverages fall under the category of food."
But to the contrary, the Food Safety and Standards Authority is the licencing body for distilleries who manufacture such products, he added.
The PIL, which has been filed in the high court registry, is likely to be taken up for hearing on Friday.
Meat shops raided at HSR Layout
It was based on 25 complaints in Sept.
With a bevy of complaints reaching the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Food Safety Commissionerate officials raided more than 10 meat shops in HSR Layout on Wednesday and directed shopkeepers to follow hygiene norms or else face closure.
What happened
- Over 10 meat shops raided
- Shopkeepers directed to follow hygiene norms or else face closure
- Authorities found alleged violations pertaining to storage and culling
The raids were based on 25 complaints filed by animal rights activists in September. The shops had violated food safety norms, and were found to be illegal and unhygienically selling meat, according to the authorities. “We have given them 15 days to respond to the notice, after which they will be closed,” said a local officer of the commissionerate, which found that the meat was exposed to dust and smoke spewed by vehicles.
While the authorities could find alleged violations pertaining to storage and culling, the quality of the meat could not be tested. The reason: it takes ₹5,000 to test just one sample of meat — a budget the commissionerate does not have.
On Thursday, officials hope to raise the issue with the Health Ministry and seek an exemption in rates that would allow for more testing. “Currently, all meat samples have to be sent to our laboratory in Hyderabad. The cost comes up to around ₹5,800 per sample, and it is too expensive to do it for all complaints received,” said Harshavardhan B., Joint Commissioner of Food Safety in Karnataka.
The cost prohibition was not limited to meat. A few months ago, the department was flooded with more than 500 samples of ‘contaminated’ eggs and rice, where plastic pellets were suspected to have been used to dilute the quality. However, the department could only manage to send 12 samples for testing. The lack of testing methods has seen officials resort to the rudimentary taste test.
‘A welcome step’
Varda Mehrotra, director of the National Federation for Animal Protection, said any sort of action from authorities was a welcome step. The BBMP and the Food Safety Commissionerate have taken serious note of the complaints and we hope the lives of animals and human beings alike would become better with increased regulation of meat shops, he said in a press release.
5 food operators fined Rs 55,000 for unsanitary conditions in Srinagar
Srinagar, Nov 1 (UNI) Five food business operators were fined Rs 55,000 for selling and processing food items in unsanitary conditions in this summer capital, Srinagar.
An official spokesperson here on Wednesday evening said that the court of Adjudicating Officer (Additional Deputy Commissioner Srinagar) imposed a fine of Rs 55,000 on five Food Business Operators, including three restaurants and a milk vendor, in Srinagar.
Meanwhile, he said the Food Safety wing of Drugs and Food Control organization presented 117 more cases before the competent court for adjudication.
“The Additional Deputy Commissioner Food Safety has warned the Chicken sellers, Bakers, Meat sellers to maintain high standards of hygiene otherwise action under relevant provisions of Food Safety & Standards Act shall be initiated against them,” he added.
He said a market checking team headed by Assistant Controller, Legal Meteorology conducted market checking at main market Bandipora, Sumbal and S K Bala.
During the checking, he said 25 traders were booked for violating Legal Meteorology laws. “A fine of Rs 9990 was also realized from the erring traders,” he said.
During the checking, he said general public especially shopkeepers were given awareness regarding Consumer Rights and Legal Meteorology.
Nov 1, 2017
FDA conducts workshops on hygiene and standards of food in temples, hotels
Efforts to raise awareness have been stepped up, as the FSSAI Act has a clear definition of ‘safe and unsafe food’. Selling substandard quality food can lead to a compoundable penalty of upto Rs 5 lakh, while selling unsafe food items can even lead to imprisonment.
THE FOOD and Drug Administration (FDA), as part of its drive to raise awareness about hygiene and standards of food distributed in temples, has conducted several workshops and training sessions across the state. S S Desai, joint commissioner, FDA, Pune, said, “At least 36 temples in Pune will be given a certificate from the FDA.”
According to state officials, more than 200 temple trusts across the state will be trained in technical skills to maintain the quality of food. Recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) launched an initiative — ‘Blissful Hygienic Offering to God (BHOG)’ — in Mumbai, under which several training workshops were conducted in September and October.
Topics such as food safety, ingredients, packaging, and hygiene were covered during the workshops and participants were introduced to several scientific approaches, which would help them address concerns regarding rules and regulations pertaining to food safety. More than 3,000 people attended the sessions.
Desai said hygiene and standard of food items served in hotels and restaurants were also discussed during the workshops. At least 700 hotels will now be involved in the training programme.
Efforts to raise awareness have been stepped up, as the FSSAI Act has a clear definition of ‘safe and unsafe food’. Selling substandard quality food can lead to a compoundable penalty of upto Rs 5 lakh, while selling unsafe food items can even lead to imprisonment.
Till now, at least 700 hotels and restaurants have been trained in these aspects. Desai said, “We have initiated a self- assessment drive where the owners will fill up questionnaires on whether they are abiding by the guidelines laid down by the FSSAI. A checklist of various parametres has been given to the owners, following which we will conduct random verifications.”
Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 (FSSA)
Civil Rights & Duties awareness campaigner
There is a saying “Health is Wealth” and any carelessness which may cause food poisoning or any problem like this may lead to a very fatal consequences. So, it becomes essential to take necessary food safety measure. ‘Food safety’ means assurance that food is acceptable for human consumption. Food safety management means the adoption of good manufacturing practice, good hygienic practices, hazard analysis and critical control point and such other practices as may be specified by the regulation of food business. We as human being depend on food for our survival and we are to be aware of the food quality and the standard of food that we consume in our day to day life. Earlier food adulteration was the only concern of food safety and standard, however with the arrival of better technology and with the advancement in the standard of living numerous problems and concerns arose regarding food safety and standard in our country. So the Central government for solving all problems relating to food enacted the ‘Food Safety and Standard Act 2006’. For better management of the Act, the Central government formed an authority by the name Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI).
The W.H.O in its latest data available, revealed that 3,51,000 people die of food poisoning globally every year and at least 582 million cases of different food-borne diseases are experienced worldwide every year. Food is the basic need of all living beings and we eat food to survive and develop our physical wellbeing. So it is our basic right to a healthy, safe and nutritious food. Population explosion is one of the reasons for the use of such excessive insecticides, pesticides and fertilizers in order to boost up the production to meet the needs of the overwhelming demand for food, this use of chemical is adversely effecting our health. Sometime the availability of fast foods, packed foods and other cheap foods is harmful for our health. Some of the mal-practises commonly found are; using harmful chemicals to enhance flavour in sweets, fruits, juices, etc, using chemical to artificially ripen fruits, using wax on apples to make it look fresh, using mono sodium, ajinomootoo in chows, momos, and other Chinese and Burmese noodles affects our bones, etc, mixing brick powder to chilli powder, adulteration of milk with excessive water, use of detergent or bleaching powder to increase quantity, serving of fast foods in open food stalls such as samosas, jeelibees, pokara, puri, etc in newspapers or magazines which contains black carbon ink, etc. Some of these unhygienic and unsafe practices can lead to serious health issues and problems such as kidney failure, lung cancers, gastric problems, stomach aches and also affect our organs such as the gall bladder, liver, intestines and also cause other ailments related to mental health, abnormal hormonal growth or releases that could change our appetite and may to depression. We came across several cases of serious food poisoning such as; 23 students died in Bihar after eating mid-day meal and dozens more were hospitalized on 16th July 2013, 45 students of Madrasa fell ill due to suspected food poisoning on 16th March 2016, 69 students were hospitalised due to food poisoning at Himachal Pradesh, Shimla on 22nd April 2017.
The Food Safety and Standard Authority of India(FSSAI) was established in order to check the issue of food safety and standard with the aim and objective to lay down science based standards for articles of food, to regulate manufacturing, storage, distribution, sale and import of food to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption and for matters connected therewith. Some of the salient features of Food Safety & Standard Act are; to ensure that all food meets consumers expectations in terms of nature, substance and quality, to provide legal powers and specify offences in relation to public health and consumers interest. Section 16 of the Act laid down the functions of Authority such as; to specify standard guidelines for food articles, to specify food labelling standards including claims on health, nutrition, special dietary uses and food category systems, scientific advice and technical support to central and state government, etc. Every state must have a designated officer and some of its responsibilities are; designated officer has the power to issue or cancel license of food business operators, prohibit sale in contravention of this Act, receive report and samples of articles of food from food safety officer and get them analyzed, taking samples of the food intended for sale, he can seize any articles of food which appears to be in contravention of this Act, he can enter and inspect any place where food is manufactured or stored for sale. Some of the offences are; causing food to be injurious, abstracting any constituent, deliberate adlteration, non-conformance in label information, etc. Some of the penalties are; sub-standards food will be fined up to Rs.2 lakhs, misbranded food will be fined up to Ts.3 lakhs, unhygienic preparations of food will be fined up to rs.1 lakh. Under Section 63 of FSSA 2006, if any person or food business operator carrying out a business without license is punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months and also with a fine which may extend to five Lakh rupees. A person is also punishable with a fine of 10 lakhs rupees for misleading advertisement, falsely describing quality of food or give false guarantee to the consumers. Slaughterhouse should have proper hygiene and maintenance instruments and to be regularly checked by the medical concern doctor and thereafter it should be given to the slaughter house for human consumption. Under the Consumer Protection Act 1986, the consumers have the right to safety, they are protected against marketing of goods and services which are hazardous to life, and therefore, the goods which are hazardous to health is illegal and punishable.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare governs the FS&SAI. FS&SAI governs all food business operators in the country and has entrusted the powers at various levels to other designated authorities. In Nagaland, the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, rules and regulations 2011 is being implemented in the State from 2012. The Food Safety Officer must be appointed as an independent charge as per the Act and should checked all the Food Business Operators which includes Hotels, restaurants, canteens, tea stall, bakeries, street food vendors etc in all the respective district. With the enforcement of this Act in Nagaland, any person in practice of selling of food products are required to have a license to sell such goods and the license is to be given by the Chief medical Officer. There are times where the FS&SAI has asked the Food Commissioner in the state to inspect and evaluate in the market and had suggested that the state food safety commissioners should prepare their line for action and collect samples of all the packaged products, even those which are not registered with FS&SAI and also told to take action if required. The Chief Medical Officer and designated officers Kohima have informed all hotels, restaurants, provisions, groceries, home based canteens of schools, colleges, office, etc to obtain food safety license/registration from the Chief Medical Officer office, Kohima and in order to avoid penalisation as per the food safety and standards act rules and regulations and newly established food business operators have also been directed to obtain the license/registration.
Oct 31, 2017
Commerce Ministry asks exporters to strictly adhere to food safety norms
The commerce ministry has asked exporters to strictly adhere to sanitary and phyto-sanitary norms, saying that non-compliance could damage the image of the country.
The commerce ministry has asked exporters to strictly adhere to sanitary and phyto-sanitary norms, saying that non-compliance could damage the image of the country.
In a trade notice, the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) also said that action would be taken against exporters for non-compliance of these rules which pertain to food safety and animal and plant health requirements.
The warning follows a complaint received from the agriculture ministry with regard to non-compliance with global norms.
It said that the Department of Agriculture "has brought to the notice of this directorate about various instances of non-compliance of sanitary/phyto-sanitary measures by Indian exporters while exporting goods".
"Importing countries have been making complaints against Indian exporters, which amounts to disrepute to the image of the country and that can adversely impact the interest of other exporters as well as of the country as a whole," it added.
The action for not following these rules could include monetary fine or suspension and cancellation of trade licence.
Sanitary and phyto-sanitary measures came into force with the establishment of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on January 1, 1995.
It concerns the applications of food safety and animal and plant health regulations. India is a signatory to this agreement, being a member of the Geneva-based WTO.
The DGFT, under the ministry, said that exporters are sensitised to ensure that sanitary and phyto-sanitary laws of importing countries are "strictly" adhered to.
The directorate advised exporters to seek requirement of importing country along with the export order.
"And, while exporting goods, they must provide a certificate(s) from designated agencies along with export documents indicating the observance of the norms mandated by the importing country," the trade notice of the DGFT has said.It has also asked the Department of Revenue to advise the field formations of customs to ensure that exporters adhere to the norms of the importing country.
Mecca of Food Technology in India (CFTRI) announced 5-week ‘Skill Development Program on Baking Technology’
Mysuru: Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL) director Rakesh Kumar Sharma said that CFTRI and DFRL are part of the government’s bigger initiative to focus on the need for food safety, nutrition security and sustainability.
Inaugurating the CFTRI Foundation Day celebrations on Friday, Sharma said CFTRI is the mecca of food technology which has contributed to improving the nutritional and health status of the population.
On the occasion, CFTRI announced a five-week ‘Skill development programme on baking technology’ from November 13 to December 15 as part of Skill India Campaign. The institute, which has state-of-the-art baking facilities along with expert faculty to impart quality training, will provide training at affordable rates to encourage participants from rural areas, unorganized small bakery units and lower income group.
Similarly, CFTRI will also conduct entrepreneurship training programmes from November 2 to December 2 in association with Kautilya Entrepreneurship and Management Institute, Jain University, to promote startups in the food processing sector.
The course ‘Entrepreneurial Opportunities in Food and Allied Sectors’ has been designed to address both technologies and entrepreneurship to support ventures in the food processing sector. The first week of the programme will be held in CFTRI and second part at Jain University campus.
MoU with Akshaya Patra
CFTRI signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Akshaya Patra Foundation, where a series of collaborative activities such as developing innovative nutritional adjuncts as supplements under the midday meal scheme, internship programmes, customized training for midday meal workers and enabling a policy framework to implement robust malnutrition intervention by central and state governments will be taken up.
Note: News shared for public awareness with reference from the information provided at online news portals.
Oct 30, 2017
ஓட்டல்களில் அதிகாà®°ிகள் ஆய்வு செய்ய வேண்டுà®®்
மல்லூà®°்: மல்லூà®°், பனமரத்துப்பட்டி பகுதிகளில், 30க்குà®®் à®®ேà®±்பட்ட சிà®±ு ஓட்டல்கள் உள்ளன. அதில், பல இடங்களில், கழிவுநீà®°் குட்டை, சாக்கடை à®…à®°ுகே, உணவு தயாà®°ிக்குà®®் இடம் உள்ளது. à®…à®™்கு, குடிநீà®°் நிரப்பிய பாத்திà®°à®®், பிளாஸ்டிக் பேரலை à®®ூடி வைப்பதில்லை. டிà®°ாக்டர் தண்ணீà®°ை விலைக்கு வாà®™்கி, தரைமட்ட தொட்டி, கட்டடம் à®®ீதுள்ள தொட்டிகளில் சேà®®ித்து வைக்கின்றனர். ஆனால், அவற்à®±ை à®®ுà®±ையாக பராமரிக்காததால், கொசுப்புà®´ு உற்பத்தியாகிறது. சுகாதாரமற்à®± தண்ணீà®°ில் உணவுகளை தயாà®°ிக்கின்றனர். இதனால், குழந்தைகள் பாதிக்குà®®் அபாயம் உள்ளது. அதிகாà®°ிகள், ஓட்டல்களில் ஆய்வு செய்ய வேண்டுà®®்.
Samples to be tested after ‘plastic rice’ scare erupts in Dehradun
The purported video shows a diner at a restaurant near the Dehradun Railway Station showing rice balls that appear to bounce like plastic balls, and complaining about “plastic rice” being allegedly served at the eatery.
A food safety official collecting samples from a restaurant in Dehradun after a video claimed that ‘plastic rice’ was being allegedly served at the eatery.
Samples of rice will be sent for testing at the state-run laboratory, food safety officials said on Sunday after an unverified video claiming “plastic rice” being served at a restaurant in Dehradun went viral on the social media.
The purported video shows a diner at a restaurant near the Dehradun Railway Station showing rice balls that appear to bounce like plastic balls, and complaining about “plastic rice” being allegedly served at the eatery. HT could not independently verify the claims made in the video.
GC Kandwal, designated officer of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for Dehradun district, said samples have been collected from the restaurant and that the same will be sent for analysis at the state-run food testing laboratory at Rudrapur in Udham Singh Nagar district.
“However, we’ll be able to comment on whether it’s plastic rice or not only once the (lab) report comes out. Till then, we’re also planning to inspect other places (like eateries, markets) as a precautionary measure,” Kandwal told HT.
He, however, asserted that “no such thing as plastic rice” had ever been confirmed in the state so far and that it was a “natural tendency” of rice to become hard like a ball due to presence of starch in it, but that doesn’t confirm that the rice is made of plastic.
“Food adulteration is a serious issue and the department will certainly take action if any irregularity is found anywhere. But such unconfirmed claims (of plastic rice) only lead to confusion and panic among the public,” Kandwal said.
In June, a similar scare of “plastic rice” being allegedly sold in the markets of Haldwani in Kumaon region had surfaced, following which the Nainital district administration raided several shops. Lab reports of collected samples, however, later dismissed the claims of “plastic rice”.
Notably, many experts including senior agriculture scientists have called out the “plastic rice” scare as “myth” citing how no conclusive proof for the same has been discovered so far. According to snopes, a fact verification site, the claims of plastic rice have yet to be proven.
Meanwhile, Kandwal said an improvement notice had been slapped on the said restaurant under Section 32 of the Food Safety and Standards Act for preparing food under unhygienic conditions.
Food Safety Regulations for Proprietary Milk Products
Food Safety Regulations for Proprietary Milk Products
As per section 2.12.1 of Food Safety and Standards Regulations (Food Products Standards & Food Additives) , 2011, ‘Proprietary Food’ means a food that has not been standardized under these regulations. Only 377 food products have the standards specified in the regulations. All other non-standardized food products comes under the category of proprietary food products.
Standards of some Dairy products and analogues have been specified in section 2.1 of FSSRS (Food Products Standards & Food Additives) Regulations. These are: milk, cream, malai, dahi or curd, chhena or paneer, cheese, dairy based deserts/confections, evaporated / condensed milk & milk products, foods for infant nutrition, butter, ghee & milk fats, chakka and shrikhand, fermented milk products, whey products and edible casein products.
Milk products other than these are considered as proprietary milk products since these are not been standardized under the regulations. As per section 22 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, no person shall manufacture,distribute, sell or import these proprietary milk products which the Central Government may notify in this behalf. Until and unless standards of these products are notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, the proprietary milk products can not be manufactured, distributed, sold or imported. No license will be issued either by the Central or State governments.
Procedure of standards setting in FSSAI
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has as many as sixteen scientific panels as of today. Standards of proprietary milk products are first considered and recommended by the concern scientific panel. Once recommended by the scientific panel, these standards are placed before the scientific committee of FSSAI. If recommended by the scientific committee, these standards are to be approved by the food authority. Standards of proprietary milk products approved by the food authority are forwarded to the ministry of health and family welfare, government of India. If satisfied, they send it to the law ministry for legal vetting. Once these formalities are complete, the draft notifications of standards are posted in FSSAI website for obtaining stake holders comment for 60 days. Final gazette notifications are done after obtaining comment from WTO.
Product approval advisory
In order to avoid the long drawn procedure of standards setting, FSSAI had introduced Product Approval Procedure and had issued advisories. As per the advisory, manufacturers / importers had to submit applications for No objection certificate or Product approval for proprietary food products and after obtaining No Objection Certificate or Product approval, manufacturers/ importers could start business of proprietary milk products. One of the most widely used proprietary dairy product is Dairy Whitener. In the absence of standards of Dairy Whitener in FSSRS, manufacturers of dairy whitener were advised to submit applications to FSSAI to obtain NOC/ Product Approval. Since ingredients of dairy whitener are mainly maltodextrin, sugar and skim milk powder, FSSAI had issued NOC / Product Approval to the applicants who had submitted applications for NOC / Product approval of Dairy whitener. Manufacturing of Dairy whitener as proprietary milk products started.
Other proprietary milk products like Cheese Card containing milk fat, salt, solid non fat, milk protein, residual lactose also granted product approval by FSSAI. Even low fat milk powder, butter milk powder which had no standards prescribed in FSSR, 2011 were granted product approval as proprietary milk products. However, the product approval procedure was rejected by the Supreme Court of India and stopped by FSSAI.
Standard setting for some proprietary milk products
FSSAI had also initiated standard setting of proprietary food products. Bureau of Indian Standards made standards for Dairy Whitener in 1998. In the 12th Food Authority meeting held on August 29, 2013, FSSAI decided to adopt the BIS standards of Dairy Whitener. FSSAI also constituted a subcommittee of four members with Director, NDRI to finalize the standards.
Draft standards for Dairy Whitener was finalized and posted in FSSAI website on 23rd October,2015. FSSAI also started granting license for Dairy Whitener which conform to the prescribed standards of Dairy Whitener in the amended Food Safety & Standards Regulations ( Food Products Standards and Food Additives) , 2011, section 2.1.11.
Standard for dairy whitener
1) Description
The product prepared by spray drying of cow milk, buffalo milk or a mixture thereof containing carbohydrates such as sucrose, dextrose and maltodextrin. The fat or protein content, or both, of the milk may be adjusted by addition or withdrawal of milk constituents in such a way as not to alter the Whey Protein to Casein ratio of milk.
2) Essential Composition and Quality Factors
The product shall be white or light cream in colour, uniform in composition and free from lumps except those that break up readily under slight pressure and shall be free from extraneous matters and added colours.
The flavour of the product before or after reconstitution shall be pleasant and sweet. It shall be free from off flavours. It is recommended that the flavour and taste may be judged on the basis of their sensory characteristics.
Requirements
| |||||
Skimmed milk dairy whitener
|
Low fat dairy whitener
|
Medium fat dairy whitener
|
High fat dairy whitener
| ||
1
|
Moisture, % w/w, Max.
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
4
|
2
|
Milk Fat, % w/w.
|
Not more than 1.5
|
More than
1.5 upto 10
|
More than
10 upto 20
|
More than 20 upto 26
|
3
|
Milk protein % w/w, Min.
|
23
|
21
|
17
|
15
|
4
|
Insolubility Index, ml, Max.
|
1.5
|
1.5
|
1.5
|
1.5
|
5
|
Total ash (on dry weight basis) , % w/w, Max
|
6.1
|
6.1
|
5.3
|
4.5
|
6
|
Acid Insoluble ash, % w/w, Max
|
0.1
|
0.1
|
0.1
|
0.1
|
7
|
Added sugar (as sucrose, % w/w, Max)
|
24
|
24
|
24
|
24
|
8
|
Titrable acidity maximum, % (as lactic acid)
|
1.5
|
1.5
|
1.5
|
1.5
|
If sugar is replaced with Milk Solid Non Fat i.e. Skimmed Milk Powder, ash content will proportionately increase and may be calculated as follows:
a) Calculated Ash Content: prescribed ash content + 8.2/100 (24 sugar % in the product)
b) Calculation for protein: Milk Protein % w/w is calculated from the proposed added sugar (as sucrose) i.e. 24 % w/w. Standard of 24% added sugar shall be reduced to 18% after two years from the date of notification. Dairy Whitener shall be free from vegetable oil, animal fat, mineral oil, thickening agents.
3) Food Additives
Only those additives permitted for Milk Powder as per Food Safety and Standards (Food products standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 shall be used.
4) Hygiene
The products covered by this standards be prepared and handled in accordance with the appropriate provisions of the Schedule IV, Part II and III of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011. The products covered under this standards shall conform the Microbiological requirements for milk and milk products of the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011.
5) Contaminants
The products covered by this standards shall comply with the Maximum levels for contaminants specified in the Regulations Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations,2011.
6) Labelling
The products covered by this standard shall comply with the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.
7) Methods of Sampling and Analysis
As provided in the Food Safety Standards Authority of India Manual of Method of Analysis of Food (2015) - Milk and Milk Products.
Other proprietary milk products
Standards for Fermented Milk , Flavoured fermented milks, Drinks based on Fermented milk, Concentrated Fermented milk are also notified by FSSAI on 23rd October,2015 . As a result, these proprietary milk products are now considered as standardized milk products.
Similarly, standards for Ice - Cream, Kulfi, Chocolate Ice Cream, Softy Ice Cream, Milk ice, Milk Lolly and dried Ice Cream mix also notified in Regulations 2.1.14. Standards for Frozen Deserts or Confections with added Vegetable oil or Fat or Vegetable Protein or both notified in regulations 2.1.15.
Since Food Safety & Standards Regulations, 2011 have specified standards for 377 food products, attempts are being made to make vertical standards as well as horizontal standards for proprietary food products. Harmonization with Codex Standards have been done in FSSAI so that proprietary food products are converted into standardized food products which is convenient for both the Food Business Operators as well as regulators.
UNDER SCANNER - Eateries spice up dishes with colour, feel the heat
In Crackdown, Food Safety Dept Fines Popular Restaurants, Biryani Chains
Yellow and orange tinted biryani, bright red tandoori chicken, green mint chutney the hues may tantalise taste buds, but they have started attracting penalty from the food safety department, which is cracking down on restaurants using synthetic colours in food.
Popular biryani chains in the city, in particular, have come under scrutiny . Last Wednesday , officials collected samples of chicken-65 and biryani from a restaurant at Shastri Nagar, Vadapalani, following complaints of synthetic colours being used. Three other leading hotels -on Mahatma Gandhi Road, Nungambakkam; Third Avenue, Anna Nagar; and T-block in the same locality also came under fire recently and have been directed to cough up fines of up to `25,000.
Experts say the crackdown is significant as more people are eating out. And, when it comes to biryani and its accompaniments, they are spoilt for choice with such joints sprouting in every corner. According to the Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011, artificial food colours are permitted only for select items. The quantity of colour should be a milligram or less for a kilogram. “[But] our labs find up to 50mg of colour in prepared food,“ said R Kathiravan, designated officer, food safety department, Chennai. He said colours are allowed in certain preparations as these items are not consumed daily. “But we are seeing an increase in synthetic colours being used in all kinds of food,“ said Kathiravan.
Since 2015, the department has collected more than `7 lakh as fine and more than 41 owners of eateries were convicted for adding artificial colours. Most of the items that contained toxic colours were chicken-65, tandoori chicken, chilli chicken, biryani, gobi-65, green chutneys and a few gravies. The colours don't just make the food more appealing. “Some of the samples we collected were clearly stale. The colours mask the smell too,“ said Kathiravan.
TOI spoke to a restaurant owner in Nungambakkam who was pulled up in March by officials after they found chemicals in a sample of chicken-65. The restaurant has reverted to using colour. “It is the most popular item. When we stopped using colour, people returned the dish saying it was just plain chicken,“ he said.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India permits only eight synthetic colours to be added to specific foods. However, studies have shown that if consumed on a prolonged basis, these could cause cancer, nervous disorders, toxicity or heart diseases as they stay in the body for more than a month.
Dietitian Mini Joseph said hotels should use natural colours like turmeric for yellow, saffron for orange and Kashmiri chilli and beetroot extracts for red. “But restaurants rarely use them as they are expensive. One drop of a chemical gives more colour than natural ingredients,“ she said.
Members of Tamil Nadu Ho tels Association (TNHA) say they have appealed to FSSAI to add more food items from the south in the list of items that can have syntheti colours.
“We have been asking to add items that have for years been identified by certain colours like chicken-65,“ said M Venkada Subbu, president of TNHA.
Oct 29, 2017
Cows pumped with antibiotics, treated as milk machines in dairies: Report
Most cows are kept in cramped enclosures in dairies, and pumped with antibiotics and hormones to produce more milk, exposing consumers to diseases, said a report of India’s apex animal protection organisation.
Cows live in cramped, poorly ventilated and dark enclosures in more than one-quarter of the dairies in leading milk-producing states, according to a survey conducted by the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations.
Most cows are kept in cramped enclosures in dairies, and pumped with antibiotics and hormones to produce more milk, exposing consumers to diseases, said a report of India’s apex animal protection organisation.
The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) surveyed 451 milk-producing centres in 10 states, a reality check of distressing conditions in which cows are treated as milk-producing machines.
The survey covered 49 dairies in Rajasthan’s four districts -- Alwar, Jaipur, Jodhpur and Bikaner – housing 1232 cattle. Bringing out the home truths behind India’s ‘white revolution’, FIAPO demands regulation of milk-producing dairies by the Centre and state governments.
The survey was done from June 2016 to March 2017 and the report -- CATTLE-OGUE -- was released on October 26.
“It is not just the animals which are getting exploited but also the consumers of milk and dairy products. Poor conditions recorded in the investigation raise serious questions on the safety and quality of milk in the market,” said FIAPO director Arpan Sharma.
Cows live in cramped, poorly ventilated and dark enclosures in more than one-quarter of the dairies; injuries from slipping in their excreta are common – 64.1% dairies have “ill, injured and distressed cattle,” the report said.
“Poor veterinary care and illegal use of drugs and hormones like oxytocin to increase the milk let-down are prevalent. An evident delinking of humane treatment of cattle as sentient beings is being noticed as a result of the rising demand for milk and milk products,” the report said, raising a question mark on the sustainability of India’s global leadership in milk production.
Cattle are separated from calves (male calves die within the first week in 25% of dairies), receive little veterinary care and are injected with drugs in almost 50% of the dairies, the report revealed. Unproductive cattle are sold to farmers or slaughterhouses by 62.9% dairies.
A shocking revelation was the use of khalbaccha, an effigy made by stuffing a dead calf with hay. “Because of strong maternal bonds, the mother often stops lactating if the calf has died. Hence a khalbacchas are used to mimic the presence of a calf and continue milking.”
Dairy cattle in urban areas get little access to soft ground in 78% dairies. “We have urged state governments to outlaw keeping of cattle within municipal limits and also enact conditions for keeping animals in other areas,” Sharma said.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is silent on conditions that need to prevail at the point of milk production. “FSSAI regulations pertain only to milk processing, which is only half the story. The Centre needs to amend the Registration of Cattle Premises Rules 1978 to introduce conditions for the holding of cattle in commercial dairies,” Sharma said.
Under ‘Operation Flood’ in 1970, milk production in the country increased from 22 million tonnes in 1970 to 104 million tonnes in 2008.
Key findings in Rajasthan dairies:
•Male calves are routinely sold for slaughter, or abandoned on the streets. Almost 43% dairies did not have any surviving male calf.
•Calves are separated from mothers almost immediately after birth, so that the milk can be sold.
•A hormone, called oxytocin, is used to keep the mothers lactating; this is painful to cattle.
•87% dairies in Rajasthan were seen to keep their cattle tied to short tethers at all times.
•Almost 52% of the dairies had hard flooring, causing the animals to suffer from lameness and joint problems.
•Because of exploitative practices, animals were going “dry”. This is the main reason why India is the world’s 2nd largest beef exporter in the absence of raising beef cattle.
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