Feb 19, 2018
Adulterated food floods city market, citizens in a tizzy
VIJAYAWADA: Health experts and residents of Vijayawada are concerned over the quality of food items being sold in the city in the light of seizure of 2,700 kg of spurious ghee during a raid at a private transport office at Nunna, by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and police in a joint operation.
The people fear that necessary commodities like groceries, fruits, vegetables and even sweets and confectionaries are adulterated and misbranded and is afraid that consuming such food will affect health adversely. Recent raids have raised serious apprehensions among the residents about ghee and other food items available in open market.
Manufacturers are mostly targeting economically weaker sections and adulterated food items are marketed in the colonies and city outskirts. Consuming such food items can cause intestine related ailments. “For greed of fast money, some of them are producing and selling adulterated products in open market. We don’t know the right place to get quality food items,” said D Padma, a resident of Satyanarayanapura.
During the raids, Nunna police had found that Sunil Kumar, the kingpin, did not have necessary permissions from FSSAI to operate ghee manufacturing unit. He was running an illegal ghee manufacturing unit in Surampalli village and was marketing it in AP and Telangana under popular brand names like Krishna Pure Ghee, Sri Lakshmi, Nandini Ghee and Madhura.
Assistant commissioner of police (ACP- North) K Sravani said that two other persons, Pochepalli Venkateswara Rao and Chitturi Seetharamayya, were working under Sunil for past two years and Ghee worth `6 lakh and machinery worth `25 lakh were seized from the manufacturing unit in Surampalli village near Nunna. “He did not have the license to operate the unit. The spurious ghee was mixed with boiled palm oil, and vanaspathi in the ratio 10:40:50.” The officer also said that a manhunt was initiated to nab the prime accused Sunil.
Despite police monitoring and inspection by food safety officials greedy manufacturers are continuing illegal practices putting public health in danger. “We have registered over 200 criminal cases against adulterators for endangering public health. More such raids will be conducted to put an end to the adulteration menace in the city,” said FSSAI assistant controller N Poornachandra Rao.
Some Of The Fish You Eat In India Can Make You Very Sick
One of the earliest memories I have of my grandmother is her buying fish from the fisherwoman who used to come to their doorstep practically every day (she even cleaned the fish as a special favour to my grandmother). Both my grandparents loved their fish, and my grandfather could never quite figure out why I hated it. Fortunately for them, they had no idea what else they were eating along with their beloved fish.
In 2009, the Times of India published an article about a study carried out by the Indian Institute of Environmental Medicine, which found that Mackerel and Pomfret from the Versova docks in Mumbai contained an unsafe amount of mercury. However, the study did note that fish from other docks in and around Mumbai were found to be safe to eat. Another study, conducted in 2014, found that while there was heavy metal contamination in fish caught in Mumbai Harbour, it was below the permissible limits, and the fish was safe for human consumption.
Toxins like heavy metals and PCBs build up in the body over decades, and are associated with a number of serious side effects.
Unfortunately, fish consumed in other parts of the country may not be as safe. A study conducted in 2015, which tested commercial fish species sourced from three reservoirs in the Cauvery Delta, found unsafe levels of iron, zinc, lead and chromium, among other metals, in the fish. It noted that the concentration of metals in many samples exceeded the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) standards. The study concludedthat the concentration of metals in the fish suggested a risk for humans. Another study found that shrimp collected from the Subarnarekha River, which flows through Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha, contained heavy metals in concentrations sufficient to be a health hazard.
Heavy metals aren't the only toxic contaminants people might be ingesting along with their fish. A 2016 study on fish collected in Hyderabad found that the fish were contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The study found that the concentration of PCBs in the fish was high enough to pose a lifetime cancer risk.
Because of the length of the coastline, fish is a dietary staple in a large part of the country. This makes contamination of fish a huge food safety risk. Also, toxins like heavy metals and PCBs build up in the body over decades, and are associated with a number of serious side effects.
Sadly, there isn't much that can be done to get rid of the toxins in fish because fish contamination is a result of water bodies being polluted. Unless we stop dumping untreated waste in the water, we will keep consuming contaminated fish. This means that the Government must take action to ensure that all waste released into water bodies is properly treated or else, the entire coastal population will continue getting poisoned.
The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of HuffPost India. Any omissions or errors are the author's and HuffPost India does not assume any liability or responsibility for them.
Feb 18, 2018
VMC food safety officers target caterers
Vadodara: Food safety officers of the Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) targeted caterers on Saturday. Food and raw material samples were collected from the caterers. According to VMC officials, the checking drive targeted caterers in Alkapuri, Gorwa, New VIP Road, Makarpura and Chhani area. In all, nine samples were collected by the officials during the drive. One of the caterers was also issued a notice after it came to light that the conditions in his premises were not hygienic. Officials added that the drive was conducted in wake of the fact that the caterers were widely providing services in the wedding season and it was necessary to ensure that standards were maintained
How safe is restaurant food?
Soumya MS, a techie in Kochi, likes to try out the fare dished out by various restaurants, both small and big. The other day, she and a few of her friends visited a restaurant in Aluva and ordered biryani. It sure looked piping hot and the aroma was alluring too. But as her friend dug out the masala, there popped up a cockroach!
She says, “Given that most us are ‘paying guests’ who stay away from our homes, we are forced to rely on restaurant food. As a result, someone or the other is always down with food poisoning.” A frequent victim is a friend from north Kerala who loves his chicken and beef. “Many hotels in the city have swank interiors but nobody knows what goes on in their kitchens,” she adds.
A recent drive by the Thrikkakara Municipality Health Department revealed that seven hotels in the city were functioning in unhygienic conditions. Meat, chicken and fish were cleaned in wash basins, it was found. They were let off with a warning.
Shibu KV, Assistant Commissioner of Food Security, Kochi, confirms that many a hotel takes care to project cleanliness in the reception and dining areas but the production area leaves much to be desired. “The way they operate within the food outlets is pathetic. It is the meat items that are the most risky as they do not store them under ideal temperature conditions. The place and the manner in which they are stored are also appalling. Shawarma is another food item that often causes food poisoning. Hence, it is best if meat-based food items are avoided to the extent possible.”
In most of the medium-range hotels, those in charge are not really trained in hotel management. Acute labour shortage means that anyone is drafted in as chef or waiter, with no awareness on food safety. Shibu says this negligent attitude can never be encouraged. “We have four squads in the city to scrutinise the menace, in addition to a Quick Response Team (QRT), which takes swift actions according to the complaints they receive on a daily basis,” he says.
He points out that a few hotels have an open cooking space, which the customers can see for themselves, and lauds it as a good practice. If other hotels follow suit, it would be a good step towards healthy eating, he says.
Echoing a similar opinion is Vinoy J, a young chef, who has worked in Kochi. “I remember how fish was often cleaned in wash basins, next to the cleaning brushes and soap water. The masala was also prepared in the same surroundings. Chemical ingredients and food colour were used. The oil used was not pure coconut oil, and they would re-use it for a few days. Beef is kept in the refrigerator for days on end.”
The responsibility of storing the leftover food ingredients is often left to the cleaning staff who do not have the required knowledge to preserve them in safe conditions.
“Many of the hotels go for the cheapest available ingredients, whether it is garlic, ginger or rice.”
A former waiter on condition of anonymity recalls, “A hotel where I used to work in used to source stale chicken and use it for making Shawarma, It was the same in case of milk, as it was later used while baking cakes. The oil too was reused multiple times.”
It is the student community that suffers the most. Kurian Jacob, a final year student at Sacred Heart College, eats out three times a day because there is no ‘mess’ in his college. “We are far from choosy and have food from any outlet. It is true that we are not that health conscious. Recently, my friend, who had a glass of innocuous-looking ginger lime from a small joint was affected by food poisoning for almost three days.”
He says it is not unusual to find human hair in the food served in some food joints. “While many of them start by saying that they want to serve only healthy food, commercial considerations get the better of them not long afterwards.”
The hotels that are caught red-handed are given strict warning and shut down for a few days, Shibu says. If they continue with the same practice, they will have to permanently down the shutters, according to him. He says that his team receives a minimum of 10 complaints every day from unhappy customers.
Something that people can do on their own is to identify the hotels that are trustworthy. “The most effective method is word of mouth, and when that comes from a person close to you, one can breathe a sigh of relief. Social media groups can also act as watchdogs,” says Shibu.
The tip that he gives the layman is to avoid eating out to the extent possible, and choose only those places that are within one’s vicinity and recommended by people who have tried it out.
Substandard mawa-making unit unearthed during raid
Chhitwadi is the place which is surrounded by small and big units of mawa, paneer and other milk products which are supplied to Jaipur for consumption.
Early on Saturday morning, food officers reached the area and conducted raids in the units.
“We have seized 150kg of skimmed milk powder, 200 kg of ready mawa and 100 kg of unprepared mawa,” said Dr Narottam Sharma, chief medical health officer (Jaipur I).
The farm raided by the health department officials is situated on Chomu-Chandwaji road with name Rahul Fresh Farm. However, his owner Dinesh Sharma said, “I kept the skimmed milk power for setting paneer in my unit.”
When the health authorities inspected his firm, they found bags of skimmed milk powder. “The labourers were using the skimmed milk powder. Actually mawa is produced from fresh milk but here they were using powdered milk to produce substandard mawa,” said Virendra Singh, a food safety officer.
He said that there were three containers full of mawa and they were preparing another 150 kg of mawa using powdered milk. Singh said that though the mawa was not adulterated with any harmful substance but it was not the pure form of mawa which is sold to the consumers.
Officials alleged that selling substandard mawa is a kind of cheating with consumers. They collected eight samples of milk products from Chhitwari area and sent them for testing to government-run laboratory.
Box:
Pure versus spurious sweets
A consumer can identify sweets made of substandard mawa by its texture. The pure mawa has more fats and substandard mawa has less fats. Having more fat, the sweets made of mawa do not break but substandard mawa sweets are a little more brittle than pure mawa sweet. Mawa produced by skimmed milk powder is prepared easily taking much lesser time than pure mawa. It is relatively cheaper than pure mawa but they are sold at equal prices.
Drive for healthy pongala
Devotees purchase earthen pots for Attukal Pongala festival from a steet vendor in Thiruvananthapuram. Attukal Pongala is on March 2.
Thiruvananthapuram; The Food Safety Officials will launch a drive next week to check for adulteration in raw materials such as jaggery, ghee and condiments for pongala. Once the food stalls near festival venue become active on Thursday there will be drives to check the quality of food there also. "During the past two years, we couldn't find adulteration in jaggery. However, spoiled cauliflower and vegetables which were not washed are regularly found in Gobi Manchurian served by vendors around the venue. Cauliflower available in the city is generally high on e-coli as they grow on human waste. They are susceptible to food poisoning until treated properly. Juice corners also will come under scanner," said Food Safety officials.
"Apart from this testing will be done for the suspected use of colours. Crackdowns will be organised at hotels at Manacaud, Killipalam, Attukal and Attakulangara," he said. Three squads of food safety officers will be deployed in the core pongala zone and control rooms will be opened. As in previous years resident's associations and private parties to secure the department's authorisation to serve food on the day of pongala. Around 25 health inspector will be pressed into action on the final days of pongala
Shop owner acquitted of charges of possessing gutkha
Thane (Maharashtra), Feb 17 (PTI) A local court has acquitted a 26-year-old shop owner from Mumbra near here of the charge of possessing gutkha which is banned in Maharashtra.
District and Additional Sessions Judge AS Bhaisare, in his recent order, held that the prosecution had failed to prove the charge against Nadim Suhel Ahmed Shaikh who was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Public Prosecutor Sangita Phad informed the court that on January 28, 2015, police personnel and sleuths of Food and Drugs Administration raided the shop owned by Shaikh and allegedly seized from his possession banned goods, including Goa Gutka 1000 and Vimal panmasala.
After hearing the prosecution and defence, the Judge acquitted Shaikh of all the charges
IITs And Other Top Institutes Fail FSSAI Food Safety Audit
NON COMPLAINT KITCHENS
The FSSAI audit found flaws like food residue in utensils which were said to be washed, kitchens were found to have rodent faeces, overflowing sinks and choked bathrooms amidst the others during the audit. The audit was conducted in accordance to the food safety and standards (food safety auditing) regulations of 2017 for the institutions – Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad, Indian Institute of Science (IIS) Bangalore, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi and Jodhpur, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Bombay, Guwahati, Kozhikode, Delhi, Chennai, Roorkee, Kanpur and the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata.
The Times of India reports that barring the campus kitchens of IIM Ahmedabad and IIT Roorkee which passed the test, rest all the institutions failed the audit. The campus kitchens, hostels kitchens, guesthouse kitchens and cafeterias were inspected on the basis of design, facilities, and maintenance of cooking area, usage of food-grade utensils and equipment, control of operations, the food preparation, maintenance, sanitation, personal hygiene, training and record keeping. The kitchens were to get a score above 77 out of a maximum 114 to be complaint.
Feb 17, 2018
Mumbai: Fake Food Safety Inspector Demands Rs 15,000 From Ghatkopar Hotel, Caught
Nashik Man Had Demanded Rs 15 K From Ghatkopar Hotel Manager, Who Became Suspicious When He Was Told A Receipt Would Be Sent The Next Day
Omkar Bhanushali
The police have arrested a man posing as a food safety inspector at a popular Ghatkopar hotel. According to cops, the man, identified as Omkar Bhanushali, was carrying an ID card of a Vigilance Food Safety Inspector from the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI). He allegedly demanded Rs 15,000 from the hotel as "fine".
Hotel Radha Krishna, located at Ghatkopar West is a famous joint serving Indian as well as Chinese food. On Thursday, a man walked into the hotel and started taking photos. When the hotel manager objected to this, the man introduced himself as an officer from the FSSAI.
After the 'inspection', Bhanushali started mentioning flaws in the hotel. When the manager enquired what the hotel authorities should do, Bhanushali demanded R15,000 money as fine.
Bhanushali told the manager to pay in cash and said a receipt would be sent to him the following day. This made the manager suspicious, who told Bhanushali to wait and called up senior police inspector Vyankat Patil at Ghatkopar police station.
Patil said, "I received a call from the hotel saying an FSSAI officer was demanding money from them. I asked them to tell the person to wait and sent my officers to crosscheck his identity. When asked about his tenure at FSSAI, Bhanushali seemed baffled. The team brought him to the police station, where he confessed to impersonating an FSSAI officer," Patil said.
A Nashik resident, Bhanushali claimed to be an advocate. "We have found that he has visited many hotels across Mumbai, posing as an FSSAI officer. We are contacting these hotels and to verify the facts," said another officer. Bhanushali has been booked under IPC 170 for impersonating a public servant.
Domino’s Pizza To Shell Out 9.5 Lakh Rupees As A Fine For Using Unfit Cheese
International pizza chain Dominoes has been slapped with a fine of 9.5 lakh rupees by Additional District Magistrate of Shahjahanpur for using cheese unfit for consumption in their pizzas.
Facts
On 4th July 2011, food security officer Yugul Kishore took a sample of cheese from an outlet of Dominos at Shahjahanpur and dispatched it for the lab test at government regional public analysis laboratory in Varanasi. After complete and detailed examination of the sample sent, Food analyst UC Gangwar reported that the milk fat in the diced super stretch Mozzarella cheese sample was below 35 percent. 35 percent milk fat is the minimum level prescribed by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India in Mozzarella cheese to be fit for consumption.
The report was sent to the food security officer on 5th August 2015 after the lab tests on the sample were finished in-between 22 July to 28 July 2015.
A case was filed against Jubilant Food Works (franchisee for Domino’s pizza), Schreiber Dynamic Dairies in Pune(the supplier) and the seller Suresh Upadhyaya after serving them with an official court notice.
Judgement
The trial lasted for almost two years and during the course of the trial defendant even filed a counter case arguing that sample of cheese taken was not kept under advised conditions. The court found all the three defendants guilty and imposed a fine of 9.5 lakh rupees out of which district manager of Jubilant Food Work has to pay 4 lakh rupees. The supplier Schreiber Dynamic Dairies in Pune has to pay 5 lakh rupees and the remaining balance of rupees 50 thousand rupees will be borne by the seller Suresh Upadhyaya.
Moreover, Additional District Magistrate of Shahjahanpur JK Sharma added that “the sample failed to pass the lab test and it was a serious issue as they were not delivering what they have promised.”
Spokesperson of Jubilant Food Works stated that same batch of cheese at a NABL- certified lab confirms that the fat content in the cheese is as per the limit mentioned by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. District manager of Jubilant Food was unaware of the fine imposed in this matter and added that all legal issues were being dealt with Jubilant Foods including this one as well.
Learning Outcome
Food Safety and Standard Authority will not allow any food producer big or small, to sell food-products in Indian markets which do not fulfill safety requirement and standard of quality prescribed by it.
Juice vendor arrested in Odisha after 300 people hospitalised
CUTTACK: A day after nearly 300 people, including children, were admitted to hospitals after drinking ‘sharbat’ from a makeshift stall on Maha Shivaratri, Salepur police arrested the vendor, Prabhakar Rout on Thursday.
Rout (54) of Telipada under Raisunguda was nabbed from Dhenkanal on Thursday night and brought here where he was produced in a court, police said.During interrogation, the accused confessed that he had been selling ‘sharbat’ on different occasions for the last 30 years. Except an old essence which was from last year’s stock, no other harmful ingredients were used in the ‘sharbat’, police said quoting the accused.
Along with Food Safety Officer Prabhakar Pradhan, police collected samples of the drink, liquids and other materials used for an examination. The samples have been sent to State Forensic Science Laboratory, Bhubaneswar to ascertain the cause of contamination.Meanwhile, Cuttack Municipal Corporation has launched a crack down on ‘sharbat’ stalls in the Millennium City on Friday. A special team comprising City Health Officer, Food Inspector and Health Standing Committee Chairman visited different ‘sharbat’ and ‘lassi’ stalls in the city and advised them to maintain hygiene.
Audit of IITs & AIIMS finds more than a fly in the soup
New Delhi: A Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) third-party food safety audit of campus kitchens at 12 top Central institutions of higher education has found that providing good food to the best brains in the country isn’t apriority for most institutions.
A majority of the institutions have failed to clear the food safety audit.
Common problems, especially for those ranked lower in the audit, include cleaned utensils retaining food residue, rodent droppings around the kitchens, reheating of food several times, kitchen staff wearing shoes in the kitchen that are meant for the outside, choked bathrooms and overflowing sinks where utensils are cleaned.
FSSAI conducted the audits according to their draft food safety and standards (food safety auditing) regulations of 2017 for IIM Ahmedabad; Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore; All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, Delhi; IIT Mumbai; IIT Guwahati; IIM Kozhikode; IIT Delhi; Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata; IIT Chennai; AIIMS Jodhpur; IIT Roorkee; and IIT Kanpur.
At each institution, all kitchens and canteens were audited. Only most of IIM Ahmedabad’s and IIT Roorkee’s campus kitchens managed to pass the audit. The rest failed.
The auditors assessed the canteens, hostel kitchens, guesthouse kitchens and cafeterias on six parameters — design and facilities, which checks how the cooking area is maintained and whether they have safe food-grade cooking utensils and equipment; control of operations, or how food is actually prepared; maintenance and sanitation; personal hygiene; training and record keeping; and other comments, if any. The maximum score possible was 114, a score less than 77 was considered “noncompliant”.
FSSAI officials told TOI they are at present writing to all 12 institutions with detailed audit reports and grades and asking them to conform to norms as soon as possible.
A summary of the audit results accessed by TOI shows even institutions with relatively better grades were re-using vegetable oil, fungal or mold growth was found in vegetable storage areas, and the dough machines were rusted.
“Personal hygiene is a major issue in nearly all kitchens, so is the lack of understanding of what temperature you should heat food at, when to refrigerate food, and how many times food can be re-heated,” added an official. A premier medical education institute with one of the lowest scores was found to have shoes stored in the kitchen raw material storage area and an overflowing bathroom meant for kitchen staff.
At the other institutions the gaps include food storage areas used by kitchen staff as changing rooms, cockroach and other pest infestations, food and raw materials stored on the floor, drains not netted to prevent rat infestation, no cleaning and sanitation records, and stagnant water near the utensil-cleaning area. Many, it was found, were not FSSAI licensees either.
When contacted about the audit results, FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal said, “The idea is not to name and shame these institutions. We are still communicating the results to them. But they will have to meet the norms. The positive news is that some are coming forward to improve their kitchens.”
Last year, a student found a dead rat in his south Indian thali at an IIT Delhi hostel. In Indore, recently, 15 students of a private engineering college fell ill after allegedly eating food contaminated by a dead lizard.
Feb 16, 2018
Adulterated brands flood market in Kerala as coconut oil prices skyrocket
When the shopkeeper showed reluctance in giving you the branded coconut oil you sought and tried pushing hitherto unheard brands available at low prices, did it make you wonder why he/ she did it? It may be because adulterated coconut oil brands have flooded the market. Such brands, it is claimed, provide a margin to shopkeepers who push their products. Low-quality coconut oil brands are raking in moolah at a time when prices of coconut and coconut oil have hit an alltime high in Kerala. Sample this: The Cochin Oil Merchants’ Association (COMA) tested the 31 brands it collected from different parts of the state, and found 21 of them were adulterated!
This assumes significance considering the fact the Commissionerate of Food Safety in 2016 banned the production and sale of 14 coconut oil brands in the state which were being re-branded and sold. Paul Antony, COMA secretary, said, “In a lab test conducted in December last year, we identified 17 adulterated brands. A case was filed in the Kerala High Court seeking a directive to curb the practice.” “Later, on the court’s order, we collected samples of 31 coconut oil brands from across the state and subjected them to a test at a private lab in Poonithura near Kochi.
It confirmed 21 of the 31 samples were adulterated. The iodine level in them exceeded 50 per cent. The permissible level is between 7.5 and 10 per cent,” he said. Following this, COMA sent the original copy of the lab report to the Assistant Food Safety Commissioner, Ernakulam, seeking action against erring brands. K V Shibu, Assistant Food Safety Commissioner, Ernakulam, said based on the lab report, the department collected 19 samples and sent them for lab test. “If the samples do not conform to standards under Food Safety Standards (Food products and Food Additive) Regulations 2011, action will be taken against brands under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. We have also sent a copy of the report submitted by COMA to the Food Safety Commissioner, Thiruvananthapuram, as it has statewide implications,” he said.
Antony said when COMA was collecting coconut oil samples, shopkeepers were found pushing low-cost coconut oil brands to customers as the companies provide more margin to shopkeepers. “Moreover, 14 of the 21 adulterated brands were carrying the ‘Kera’ tag in their brand names, clearly as an attempt to hoodwink customers as the ‘Kera’ coconut oil brand sold by Kerafed has a lot of takers in the state,” Antony said. Food Safety officers said while banning erring companies was an option, it was not a permanent solution as most of such companies were fly-by-night brands. “If we ban an adulterated brand, it will become available in the market under another name very soon.
There is no control or regulation over the supply and sale of coconut oil brands in the state,” the officers said. As for iodine content, experts said if iodine value was around 50 per cent in the adulterated oil, coconut oil content in it will only be about 25-30 per cent and the rest will be other oils. “Since palm kernel oil is available for `60-70 per kg, one can simply adulterate coconut oil without much investment and can reap huge benefits, as coconut oil price reached a 30-year-high of `260 per/kg a couple of months ago,” said experts in the field.
The officers said around 400 oil container lorries cross into Kerala from Tamil Nadu per day and a good extent of adulteration is taking place in Kerala with the help of cross-border oil mafia. When contacted, K Anil Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Food Safety, refused a comment saying the matter was sub-judice.
2.7 tonne adulterated ghee seized
2.7 tonne adulterated ghee seized
Vijayawada: Food safety department and the city police on Thursday conducted a joint raid in Surampalli village under the Nunna police station limits and seized 2,700 kg adulterated ghee from the manufacturers.
According to information, the officials on a tip-off raided the two units and seized the ghee. Assistant food controller N Purnachandra Rao and Nunna circle inspector M V Durga Rao led the raids.
Purnachandra Rao told media that a trader named Venkat had been selling adulterated ghee under the popular brand names in the market. The officials seized 1,200 kg of ghee and fake labels of noted brands like Krishna, Srilakshmi, Madhura and Nandini.
Officials later raided another unit nearby and found about 1,500 kg adulterated ghee which is ready to be packed. The officials collected some samples for the lab tests and machinery has been seized. Purnachandra Rao said cases were registered against the manufacturer and the driver.
Tobacco products worth Rs 2.12 lakh seized
Police have recovered tobacco products worth around Rs 2.12 lakh during checking from an Imphal-bound truck along Imphal-Dimapur section of NH-2. Three persons alleged to be the owners of the tobacco products were also detained by the police along with the truck (ASO1EC6416) and handed over to the authority of state food safety office, an official said Thursday.
A team of Narcotic Cell of Imphal East district recovered 532 packets (200 gm each per packet) of tobacco products “Baba black deluxe chewing tobacco” packed in 10 cartons, the source said. The three individuals were identified as Md Amir Khan (26) of Kwakta village of Bishnupur district, Md Abdul Haque(30) of Khomidok of Imphal East and Md Abdul Hashim (24) of Paobitek of Imphal West district.
A senior police officer said that police have been conducting drive against sale of tobacco items under Food Safety and Standard (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 2011.
Milk adulteration: 8 samples tested in 3 yrs
While 6,649 and 7,635 samples of milk were analysed in the years 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively, none of the samples were collected or analysed from the Capital. Most of the adulterated samples are from UP (1,306 out of 2,468). Of the total 7,638 samples collected from across the country, 2,332 were found to be adulterated, almost a third of the actual number. However, eight samples were collected in 2016-17 from Delhi. In the absence of stringent laws, the data reveals that every third sample in the country is adulterated.
Milk, instead of being beneficial, has become a cause of concern for many in the country. In a recent data shared by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, only eight samples of milk from Delhi were analysed in the last three years and of these – one was found to be adulterated, but no penalties were imposed.
In the absence of stringent laws, the data reveals that every third sample in the country is adulterated.
While 6,649 and 7,635 samples of milk were analysed in the years 2014-15 and 2015-16 respectively, none of the samples were collected or analysed from the Capital. However, eight samples were collected in 2016-17 from Delhi.
Of the total 7,638 samples collected from across the country, 2,332 were found to be adulterated, almost a third of the actual number. Most of the adulterated samples are from UP (1,306 out of 2,468).
After the Supreme Court in August 2016 directed to curb milk adulteration activities in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had advised all the states and Union Territories to comply with the directions and submit their ‘action taken report’ (ATR), but so far only nine states, excluding Delhi have submitted their reports.
Feb 15, 2018
FSSAI proposes rules for food sold, supplied in schools across India
India’s food safety regulator, in a first, has prescribed norms to ensure safe and healthy food for children in schools across India.
NEW DELHI: India’s food safety regulator, in a first, has prescribed norms to ensure safe and healthy food for children in schools across India.
The draft proposals by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India have recently been put out in public domain for feedback before they are notified.
Named Food Safety and Standards (Safe and Wholesome Food for School Children) Regulations, 2018, the proposal seek to prescribe standards for food items sold or supplied in school mess, kitchens and eateries run by food business operators or even vending machines.
Under the proposed rules, schools will be asked to make distinction between eatables marked green, yellow and red.
While green will mostly comprise of fresh food, yellow will imply packaged food and red colour will mean food items high in salt, sugar and fat. The draft rules suggest that food and beverages categorised as green or yellow should be largely be on school menus and items labelled as red, with high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) content will be discouraged from being sold or provided inside school campuses.
The proposals also say that a balanced diet for school-goers is one that “should provide about 50-60 per cent of the total calories from carbohydrates (preferably from complex carbohydrates), about 10-15 per cent from proteins and 20-30 per cent from both visible and invisible fat.
“In addition, it should provide such non-nutrients as dietary fibre and antioxidants, which bestow positive health benefits,” reads the draft.
The draft regulation also says that the school authority selling or catering school meals must obtain a license or be registered as a food business operator (FBO) from the concerned licensing authority under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
“At the heart of these regulations is a central idea to make it clear what is healthy for children and what is not,” said FSSAI chief executive officer Pawan Aggarwal.
“We have based the proposed norms on science and highest standards of nutritional requirements for kids as laid down by the National Institute of Nutrition, Hyderabad," another FSSAI official said.
The proposed regulations have come in the wake of a Delhi High Court directive given to the FSSAI few years back.
The proposed norms also suggest that no person offers, or exposes for sale, HFSS foods to school children in school canteens, mess premises or hostel kitchens.
State food authorities will also be required ensure that no person offers, or expose for sale, HFSS foods to school children within 50m of school premises.
Food businesses manufacturing HFSS food products will also be barred from advertising such foods to children in school premises.
Trader arrested for selling dead chicken
Tirupur: A trader and a poultry farmowner were arrested for selling dead chicken at Palladam in the district recently.
Last week, police personnel at Veerapandi Pirivu checkpost red-handedly caught Ganesh, 34, of Parappalayam while he was carrying dead birds, which could fetch 140kg of meat. On intimation, food safety and drug administration (FSDA) authorities seized the dead chicken.
“In the past four months, we seized about 170kg of dead chicken in two instances excluding the last one. Catching the dead cocks was for the first time. When the police inquired with Ganesh, he confessed that all the 60 dead birds were procured for Rs 10 each from a poultry farm owned by Marimuthu of Sultanpettai near Palladam,” said K Tamil Selvan, designated officer of FSDA.
“Many people might be involved in such illegal selling of the dead chicken. It could cause health complications to the consumers from various Tasmac bars and roadside stalls. Apart from picking the dead chicken from the dump yards, the traders buy directly from the poultry farms. Arrests of the poultry owner and the trader might send warning message to the other violators,” he said.
FSDA has been planning to conduct an awareness programme to the poultry farmowners of Palladam, which has 4,207 hatcheries and 52 broiler farms and considered as one of the poultry hubs in the state.
Besides, collector K S Palanisamy has ordered the poultry farms not to sell dead chicken and to dispose them as prescribed by the animal husbandry department or otherwise face action including heavy fines.
Inferior quality tea, soaps seized
Quality check: Food safety officials and police inspecting the seized tea in Chennai on Wednesday.
Man who ran a shop in Kothawalchavadi sold products displaying known brand names
The police have seized 60 fake handmade soaps of a well-known herbal brand and over 900 kg of tea belonging to a reputed brand from a shop in Kothawalchavadi on Tuesday.
According to the police, Subramani, who works in the sales division of the herbal soap firm, had come to Anna Pillai Street. He purchased a soap from a shop run by Mallaram.
“He found that the quality was not good and it was not hand made. He lodged a complaint with us,” said a police officer.
Based on a complaint from Subramani, the police registered a case under the Trade Marks Act and started investigation.
On the same day, Murali from Kothawalchavadi lodged a complaint stating that the quality of tea purchased from Mallaram’s shop was not good.
Murali had purchased the product as it was being sold ₹50 lesser than the retail price.
Based on his complaint, the police checked the shop and Mallaram told them that he had purchased the tea packets from a man at a cheaper price.
Shopkeeper arrested
A cheating case was registered against Mallaram and he was arrested.
“Representatives from the tea company checked the seized tea packets. Investigation is on,” the officer said.
State asked to strengthen testing of farm produce
After hearing the submissions, the bench concurred and said that there was a need to strengthen the testing of farm produce and poultry.
The high court told the state to direct local bodies to inspect the produce.
Mumbai: The Bombay high court has taken cognizance of complaints by a petitioner complaining of absence of proper machinery to check for contamination with pesticide residue, antibiotics and veterinary drugs in food articles like vegetables, fruits and meat in the state. The HC directed the state to take instructions from relevant departments set up laboratories under the control of local authorities and also form inspection squads to visit poultry farms in the state. The court also directed the state to direct local bodies to inspect the produce being sold at APMC markets and consider setting up laboratories there. The directions were issued in light of the complaints by the petitioner that all edible items were being treated with harmful antibiotics, insecticides and pesticides that were violative of food and drug rules.
A division bench of justices Naresh Patil and Nitin Sambre was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Citizen Circle for Social Welfare and Education, an NGO through advocate Shehzad Naqvi seeking directions to the union and the state to set up a mechanism to curb intentional contamination of food products by the producers and farmers which was resulting in health hazards to consumers. While referring to the sorry state of affairs the petitioners stated that there was no inspection apparatus to check on usage of antibiotics in poultry farms. Referring to section 21 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, which deals with veterinary drugs, pesticides and antibiotic residues found in meat, vegetables and fruits, Mr Naqvi said that the centre and state should form a mechanism to check these.
After hearing the submissions, the bench concurred and said that there was a need to strengthen the testing of farm produce and poultry. "There is a need to set up inspection squads and laboratories to test for the harmful residue in all food items," said justice Patil. He instructed the state to rope in local bodies and take instructions on setting up of inspection squads and laboratories within each district and at local markets too.
Govt for crackdown on contamination of fish
Mercykutty Amma releases kit for quick detection of ammonia, formaldehyde
The government is gearing up for a crackdown on chemical contamination of fish, Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma has said.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, she said move was afoot to clamp down on traders using hazardous chemicals for preservation of fish. The operation would be carried out jointly by the Fisheries and Food Safety Departments.
The Minister released a kit developed by the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) for quick detection of ammonia and formaldehyde, commonly used as preservatives for fish. Named CIFTest, the kit includes a paper strip that is laced with a reagent after rubbing on the fish. In a process akin to a litmus test, the strip changes colour as the reagent interacts with ammonia or formalin.
K. Ashok Kumar, one of the scientists at CIFT who developed the kit, said 18% of the samples collected from various fish markets during the validation of the kit had shown dangerous levels of ammonia and formaldehyde, indicating the public health hazard. Most of the highly contaminated samples were collected from traders importing fish from other States. CIFT has recommended better cold storage facilities at fish-landing centres and markets to eliminate the use of chemical preservatives.
The Minister, who later distributed the kit to Matsyafed and Food Safety officials, said the CIFT would transfer the technology for mass production. She said periodic inspections would be carried out at fish markets across the State and promised stern action against traders using hazardous chemicals to extend the shelf life of fish.
Ms. Mercykutty Amma said the government was framing legislation for regulation of fish marketing in the State. The proposed Bill was aimed at eliminating middlemen in the fish marketing chain and ending the exploitation of fishermen, she said.
It envisaged a greater role for fishworkers’ cooperative societies in procuring directly from fish landing centres and bringing fresh fish to the consumer.
Earlier, officials from the Fisheries and Food Safety Departments, accompanied by the Minister, collected samples from fish vendors in the Palayam market here. All the samples tested negative for ammonia and formalin, a press note issued here said.
PK Agarwal gets extension as CEO, FSSAI
Pawan Kumar Agarwal has been given extension of tenure as Chief Executive Officer in the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India for a period of three months.
Feb 13, 2018
‘Nalla ennai’ not ‘nallennai’: Govt cracks down on misbranding
A total of 277 outlets, mostly in the districts of Salem, Namakkal and Tirupur, were found selling inedible oil as edible oil, according to government records.
Samples were lifted from nearly 930 outlets recently by food safety officers (FSOs) across the state following complaints that there was rampant adulteration in edible oil sold at rural areas. Sincethe resultswere bothersome, an oil committee was constituted under the state food safety commissioner to look into the issue.This committee in November 2017 held a meeting with all FSOs where FSOs pointed out that both edible and inedible were being manufactured and sold in the same premises and the latter was misbranded as edible.
Following this, the committee released a set of guidelines for manufacturers and packers of both categories of oils, said commissioner P Amudha. Accordingly from January 2018, edible oil manufacturers were banned from printing details about taste, quality or health benefits on the wrapper since phrases like ‘super refined’, ‘extra or micro refined’, ‘cholesterol friendly’ and ‘saturated fat free’ were misleading consumers at times.
It is mandatory for inedible oil packers from now on to print a picture of a lamp on thewrappers legibly (occupying at least 30% of the total space) in order to make it clear that the product is not suitable for cooking and can be used only for lighting lamps. As far as edible oil is concerned, ISI-marked containers should notbeclosedwithlead soldering; repacking iscompletely banned.
FSOs were instructed to ensure that no one with skin diseases or communicable ones are employed in these units. Officials have been directedtobe vigilant aboutfrequent change of addresses by repackers and relabellers to evade legal action and take necessary legal action under the provisions of theFSS Act.
Food operators have also been instructed not to stock edible and inedible oil on the same racks, Amudha added. Long-termuseof adulterated edibleor cooking oil might result in a medical condition named epidemic dropsy, say medical experts.
Customs shall not clear article of food without valid shelf life: FSSAI
New Delhi, Feb 12 (KNN) The food watchdog, FSSAI, today said that the customs authorities will not clear any article of food unless it has a valid shelf life.
Food Safety and Standards (Import) First Amendment Regulations, 2018 FSSAI has notified regulations on Food Safety and Standards (Import) First Amendment Regulations, 2018.
The notification amends the requirement relating to shelf life of imported product at the time of port clearance.
As per this notification, Custom Authorities shall not clear any article of food unless it has a valid shelf life of not less than sixty per cent, or three months before expiry, whichever is less, at the time of import, said Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Further, one more provision stating “the importer shall submit certificate of sanitary export from authorized agencies in exporting countries for the categories of food as may be specified by the Food Authority from time to time” has also been inserted.
This will help in the risk prioritization and in effectively dealing with high risk products intended for import. The said regulation will come into force on the date of their finalization, FSSAI said.
HIGH ON NUTRITION
The increasing health consciousness and awareness among consumers is compelling them to move over to organic food products, says Dr Saurabh Arora
The demand for organic foods began with fruits and vegetables when there were reports of pesticide residues in them. However, the popularity of organic foods has now extended to foodgrains, pulses, tea, spices and even oilseeds. According to a report in a leading newspaper, the organic food market in India is growing at 20-22 per cent annually. India has a rich heritage in organic farming and data shows that about 1.5 million hectares are certified as organic. In 2016-17, India exported `2,478 crore worth of organic commodities like oilseeds, cereals, millets and processed organic foods.
HEALTH advantages
Organic foods have gained popularity because people have become aware of their benefits. They contain no chemical pesticides or fertilisers and are grown naturally with manure or compost along with insecticides. Children are more susceptible than adults to diseases caused by chemical pesticide residues in food and thus parents prefer organic foods. Another advantage is that organic foods do not contain growth hormones or antibiotic residues. Animals are often given growth hormones and antibiotics in animal feeds which are directly transferred into animal foods like meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products. In organic farming, these practices are banned and animals are usually fed in natural surroundings. Eating antibiotics containing foods frequently makes antibiotics ineffective in humans.
Saviour of the Eco-system
Organic farming is a lifeline not only for small farmers who receive a fair price for their produce but the environment also gets a fillip. Another area where organic farming proves useful is, it encourages the growth of varieties of natural foods and prevents loss of species. These natural varieties are tastier and nutritious as well. Today, more than natural species the hybrid varieties are dominating agricultural crops. Organic farming is carried out in harmony with nature so it helps in the preservation of the natural environment, wetlands etc. which in turn support wild life. It reduces pollution caused by chemical pesticides and fertilisers in the environment. Wildlife, insects, frogs, birds, and micro-organisms are able to play their natural roles.
Certified quality
Organic food products are grown under a natural system of agriculture without the use of synthetic fertilisers. Therefore, any food for sale under organic foods in India needs to comply with the provisions laid down under either the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) administered by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) or the Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India) operated by the ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. There are a number of organic brands that use the term “organic” on labels but if these products are not certified then their authenticity is suspectible to violation.
Organic FOOD REGULATIONS
According to the Delhi-based Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), foods that are labelled organic but not certified cannot be considered safe. The ICRIER also mentioned the need for a uniform standard for organic foods in its last report. Now, the Food Safety Standards and Authority of India (FSSAI) has launched the Food Safety and Standards (Organic Foods) Regulations 2017 along with the unified logo for organic food products, supported with the tagline Jaivik Bharat. All organic foods certified under this logo need to convey the full and accurate information on labels about the organic status of the food. The Jaivik Bharat logo will henceforth be recognised as a mark of quality assurance given by the above mentioned certification bodies in India or any other bodies recognised by FSSAI.
The people who buy organic foods in India come from all socio-economic backgrounds. However, what is common is these people are mostly health-conscious consumers who do not mind paying a bit more than conventional foods. They do not mind paying a little extra for the comfort of knowing that they and their families are safe from the perils of chemical fertilisers, pesticides and antibiotics. What these consumers must also understand is that they must not blindly buy foods labelled “organic” but must look for the certification mark ,which truly authenticates the food as being organic. This logo certifies that the organic food is indeed free from all kinds of adulterants like pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, antibiotics and so on. With the regulatory framework in place, consumers can feel safer in the knowledge that the organic foods and products they are buying are indeed authentic and safe for their health and well being.
Uttar Pradesh implements BHOG project to ensure safety of prasad
The project involves training temple authorities, doing routine inspection of temple kitchens by the state FSDA and licensing of the product
Both the state government and the FSDA are responsible for implementation of BHOG. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Uttar Pradesh government has come forward to implement BHOG (Blissful Offering to God)—an initiative started by the Association of Food Scientists and Technologist of India (AFSTI) along with the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards India) to offer clean and hygienic prasad to the devotees. The state government and the state FSDA (Food Safety and Drug Administration) department has come together to implement BHOG in Mathura and Varanasi, which are well-known pilgrimage sites in Uttar Pradesh.
This project was conceived in 2015 when Sajeev Patil, who is the CEO of Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai, Maharashtra stated that the foreign pilgrims are sceptical about the cleanliness of the prasad and they refuse to eat. Later, this was conveyed to Probodh Halde, who is the all India president of AFSTI. Halde came up with the BHOG project by joining hands with FSSAI, and the first pilot project was started at Siddhivinayak temple.
In 2016, the first workshop was conducted in Delhi, which was organised by FSSAI. During this session, all the stakeholders such as health ministers, representatives from well-known temples like Meenakshi Temple in Tamil Nadu and Somnath Temple in Gujarat, and officials from AFSTI were present.
“When it comes to implementation of the project, both the state government and the FSDA are responsible,” Probodh Halde tells Down To Earth. He also says that over 250 temples have been trained in Maharashtra and temples in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Rajasthan have also implemented the project and this was revealed in the review meeting, which took place in January 2018. Halde also appreciated the efforts taken by the Uttar Pradesh government to implement BHOG.
The project involves training temple authorities (prasad handlers and vendors) to follow the guidance document, doing routine inspection of temple kitchens by the state FSDA and licensing of the product. However, some temples are sceptical about the whole concept of inspection of their kitchen. Down To Earth had previously reported how difficult it would be to implement Food Safety Management System in places of worship.
Feb 12, 2018
Plug loopholes in Food Safety Act, collect samples regularly
The Health Department should regularly collect and test samples from dairy farms, shops and stores selling milk and it by products. Strict action should be taken against offenders so that one can save lives of thousands of citizens, who consume adulterated milk. Government officials should regularly visit dairies to check food given to milch cattle. Water is commonly used by milk vendors to increase its quantity, which results in loss of nutritional value. Garima AggarwalDetect source of adulterationAll efforts must be made to stop supply of adulterated milk in the city.
OPEN HOUSE RESPONSE: CHECK ON MILK ADULTERATION
Spread awareness on quality of milk | Punish violators with jail term and monetary fine | Discard milk unfit for consumption
Many sweets samples fail test during Diwali festival. Inferior quality of khoya is used in preparation of sweets. Milk is often adulterated with water, urea, starch, detergent, synthetic milk and other chemicals to cut costs. Water is commonly used by milk vendors to increase its quantity, which results in loss of nutritional value. Urea, starch and other chemicals when mixed with milk may cause long-term harmful affect on a consumer’s body. The Health Department should regularly collect and test samples from dairy farms, shops and stores selling milk and it by products. If sample collected from shop fails test then its owner should be fined and not allowed to carry on business. Adulteration with water can be checked by putting a drop of milk on a polished slanting surface. If the drop leaves a white trail then it is pure otherwise it will flow without a mark. Another test can be done by boiling milk to obtain khoya. Let it rest for a few hours. If khoya is oily then milk is pure and if not then it is adulterated. Synthetic milk has a bitter taste and feels soapy when rubbed between fingers. If people find that the milk is contaminated then they should immediately report to the Health Department so that action can be taken against vendor selling it.
Harnoor Sekhon
It’s a matter of shame and pity for the Government of India that milk, which is consumed by a majority of the population throughout the country, is adulterated with contaminants, including skimmed milk powder, starch, cereal flours, glucose, sugar, salt, maltodextrin, detergent, nitrate fertilizers, hydrogen peroxide, unhygienic pond water, neutralizers, vegetable oil and urea among other things. It is done to outstrip supply, increase the shelf life and earn more and more profits. Water is the most common adulterant used by milk vendors to increase its volume. Adulterated milk can cause heart problems, cancer and even death. One must remember that milk has a shelf life of only 48 hours at refrigerated temperature of less than 4 degrees Celsius. It can last for more days at normal temperatures with the addition of different types of adulterants. India has been facing the issue of milk adulteration for long because both the government and the dairy industry have totally failed to take stringent measures. The government is still struggling to find out ways to detect adulteration in milk. There is a need for the urgent amendment of Section 272, IPC, which states “Whoever adulterates any article of food or drink shall be punished with imprisonment, which may extend to six months, or with fine upto Rs 1,000, or with both.” Besides, other stringent measures under various sections of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, will also help to keep away adulterators. A special committee can prove the incidence of milk adulteration in the city. Ravi Chander GargFood, cloth and shelter are basic needs of humans and milk is required to by them to maintain good health. It is shameful that nowadays people are playing with the health of others just for their own selfish motives. The cases of adulteration of the milk are increasing day by day. According to reports, there was an increase in failed milk samples from 22 to 44.3 per cent last year. The greed of a person can make him/her do anything. One cannot change their mental make up. The lousy quality of the milk products have spread serious diseases including hepatitis C. Milk is a preferred when it comes to health and nutrition for infants and the elderly. Strict action should be taken against offenders so that one can save lives of thousands of citizens, who consume adulterated milk. The people must be made aware to get the quality of milk they consume checked. GADVASU has the facility to check the quality of milk. Take the initiative if you want to stay healthy and free from diseases.
Garima Aggarwal
Detect source of adulteration
All efforts must be made to stop supply of adulterated milk in the city. First of all, sources which supply adulterated milk must be detected using different means. Those indulging in such an act must be severely punished. The punishment must include jail term for a known period with a monetary fine. Inspectors of the Health Department should stay alert. They must collect milk samples in the early morning and in evening hours when vendors supply milk to residents. Adulterated milk must be discarded on roads in presence of the general public. Names and addresses of persons supplying adulterated milk should be published in newspapers so that the public does not buy milk from them in future. The Food Department must sponsor research to know simple analytical methods for detecting adulteration in milk, which must be published in newspapers. Different chemicals needed to detect milk adulteration should be easily available in the market at low cost for use by the people. The essential step is detection of source of adulteration, nature of adulteration, discarding such milk and severe punishment to defaulters. Dr G DevHonesty and ethics are the two fundamental pillars of any human being to build his/her character and personality. Whether it is business or any other service, which is being rendered by a person, is based on these two pillars along with dedication and commitment. Health is more important than money. One can earn a lot, but cannot buy health with his/her earnings. Milk is considered important as it occupies main place in our day to day diet. From children to adult and old-aged people, intake of milk is essential from the health point of view. To mint money through unethical practices vendors and agencies don’t bother about health of a person. Each milk vendor or agency should procure certificate from a government testing agency certifying the quality of milk they sell. People should not purchase milk from a person, who does not have such certificate. Those found guilty of selling adulterated milk must be pushed behind bars. Government officials should regularly visit dairies to check food given to milch cattle. Various techniques should be adopted by an authorised agency to check adulterated milk. Any government official or member of agency if found taking bribe should be punished. Milk vendors or agencies may charge high price, but refrain from selling adulterating milk. It is the prime duty of every citizen to bring to the notice of the government if any one is found selling adulterated milk. Dr Mohd Saleem FarooquiThere is rampant adulteration of milk these days. Milk is a necessity for nutrition. Dairy farmers don’t think about this fact just because of their own benefits. They are playing with lives of their customers. Adulterated milk is the reason behind the people suffering from various diseases including hepatitis C. The government should keep a strict vigil on dairy farmers. Committees formed for this purpose should work properly and without corruption. Their members should work for society. Every hand involved in illegal trade of selling adulterated milk should be dealt with an iron hand. Housewives should be more aware of presence of adulterants in the milk. One can learn anything from internet these days. YouTube can also be a helpful for gaining knowledge about how milk in adulterated. Moreover, consumers can avoid buying milk from dairy farmers. They can purchase milk of certified brands including “Verka” and “Mother Dairy”. The government should try to make the people aware about the adulterated milk and its harmful effects. Campaigns should be launched in collaboration with dietitians to educate masses about the issue and how to take remedial steps. Doctors in the state can also be involved in such drives.
Manav Bansal
Mandatory checkon dairy firms
Because of the nutritional value that milk has most dairy companies have resorted to its dilution hence the product is adulterated milk. What many don’t realise is that such milk causes health problems in consumers. As milk has become a necessity in every house household the government should make it mandatory to check dairy products before these are transported to different retail shops. If this is put into effect, adulterated milk will become a thing of the past. Also companies found adulterating milk should be brought to the book and shut down to ensure discipline. Such steps can coerce dairy companies to be more cautious of the quality of milk they produce. This move will bring positive affects in lives of residents of the city. Mwatitah Faith MwaleMilk is whole nutrition and basic requirement of the body. Majority of people consume milk directly or in the form of dairy products. The practice of milk adulteration is increasing day by day. As the quantity of milk reduces hazardous substance are mixed with it to increase its volume. It has a bad effect on our health. Various incidents of adulterated milk are often reported. People are least concerned about anyone’s well being as they want to earn more. Most of us don’t know whether the milk we consume is checked for quality or not. To stop this practice all must have proper knowledge. We cannot neglect the issue as it relates to our health. Many diseases are spreading due to adulterated milk. The government should keep a proper check on milk production and distribution. Only dairy owners having licence should be allowed to produce and sell milk.
Surekha Mahajan
Many vendors mix milk with water for making more money. They sell the adulterated milk at the same price and are playing with the lives of the people. People are suffering from hepatitis C and other diseases due to adulterated milk. Vendors use chemicals and milk powder to produce milk in large quantity. Urban people are not aware about what they drink. They don’t know where to get the milk tested if its quality is not good. Villagers and government officials should start drives for the people to make them aware about where to get milk tested free of cost. Dairy owners, shopkeepers and others, who adulterate milk, should be arrested and put behind bars. They should also be monetarily penalised.
Rajvinder Singh
This problem is more of a human failure, greed so palpable and profitability at any cost. It is driving our society crazy. This malady can be contained by strict check by the government staff. People must come forward to report the matter to the police if they see adulteration taking place. The tragedy of our society is that we have become, too, greedy. We value money much higher than anything else in the world. Wish we could educate such people playing with health of others that it can never be a profitable venture. Major Gurdeep S Samra (Retd)
A major reasonbehind illnesses
A person can live a healthy life if he/she is eating unadulterated food. Food-related problems are increasing day by day. Milk adulteration is one of the biggest causes behind illnesses. Milk is a daily use product as many things can be prepared from it. The pure quality of milk is thing of the past. Moreover, surveys on dairies point towards use of hazardous items like detergents, urea, white paint and refined oil in samples. According to studies these can cause serious diseases like cancer. The police had raided and arrested two persons in Bathan village, near Ahmedgarh, because they were found adulterating milk on a large scale recently. Two quintal of milk, eight tins of refined oil, six bags of white powder and 40 kg of chemical was recovered from them. To stop production of synthetic milk samples should be collected from shops or dairies and sent to laboratries for checking. If sample fails test then according to the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 strict action should be taken against the owner. Prabhdeep Singh DhaliwalAdulteration of foodstuff, milk and it products is rampant in and around the city. The Health Department is nowhere in picture despite being entrusted the task of stopping such practice. Actually, there is a wide gap between demand and milk yield from animals kept by the dairy farming community. Nowadays, dairy farming is losing its sheen due to high input costs and shunning manual work by Punjabis, resulting in drastic decline in supply of milk. Huge gap between demand and supply induces adulteration of milk by unscrupulous elements of society. The health authorities should put up special nakas in and on the city outskirts to check the quality of milk supplied to citizens. Such nakas should be kept top secret among raiding parties and led by a gazetted officer. Loopholes in the Food Safety Act must be plugged to enhance conviction rate in the court of law. Informers must be activated in the field. They can help in nabbing culprits and of course be suitably rewarded. Milk testing laboratories must be opened in every ward. Timing and result reports should be fixed keeping in view the working conditions of all strata of society. Milk testing kits at reasonable rates should be arranged at all chemist shops. Teams may be sent to different localities to test the milk supplied to residents by vendors. Adulteration may be categorised as heinous crime in books of law by the government. Brish Bhan GhalotiSupply of adulterated milk should be checked everywhere in the city. Steps should be taken to control this problem. We all know that milk is a basic part of our daily routine diet as it provides energy to our body. Milk is only the thing, which is served to the baby for the first time. If milk is contaminated then it will effect digestion and growth of a child. It may also cause infection in infants. People should be alert and get the purity of milk consumed checked from labs. Every house in the city should get milk sample tested. Milkmen should be penalised for if found indulging in adulteration. There should be a proper check on milk being supplied in the city. As we all know purity of milk is requirement of the life.
Japleen Kaur
Milk is the purest form of food, which in itself is a complete diet. But when it is adulterated, it can play havoc with lives of its consumers. Diaries from where milk is sourced should be kept under constant vigil of the Food and Safety Department. Any discrepancy if noticed during inspection should immediately be addressed. Owners and employees should be educated about health hazards, which adulteration can cause. Manufacturers and traders of adulterated milk should be dealt with strictly. Residents should also be taught how to check purity of milk. Violations should be brought to the notice of the authorities through a toll free number, set up for the purpose. The department should conduct regular inspections at outlets where milk and its products are sold. Samples collected during inspection should be checked and the report be given at the earliest so that the required action can be taken. Profiteers should keep public health and safety over margins as tomorrow their families can also be victims of the slow poison injected by them.
Deepak Nagpal
Ludhiana and other cities are suffering due to adulteration of milk. To increase the quantity of milk and make profits, owners of dairies and shops take to adulteration. They play with our health. Milk is essential part of our diet. It is not available in its purest form these days. Milk producers and sellers often add chemicals and harmful substances to it. More than 65 per cent of milk sold in the country is impure. Either it has water or other impurities. To curb this practice milk should be tested for adulteration. People can approach Dairy Development Department to get the quality of milk checked. It can also be done at camps organised by the Dairy Department in the nearby areas. People should be made aware of adulteration in milk. The government should take strict action against those involved in adulterating milk. Detect adulteration with rapid test is one such technique, which can be used to check the quality of the milk. Although the government is taking steps to stop such activities, it’s also our responsibility to ensure, that we buy good quality milk.
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