Jun 8, 2018
Food safety regulator looking at stricter penalty for offenders
The FSSAI is looking to amend the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The penalty and punishments that will be given to offenders will be significantly stricter than they are at present.
India’s food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Association of India, is looking to amend the standards for food items to tightening the noose around offending food business operators, including manufacturers, sellers and distributors, sources said.
The FSSAI is looking to amend the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, in order to revise the penalty structure, meaning the penalty and punishments that will be given to offenders will be significantly stricter than they are at present.
For instance, under the current structure, the penalty for selling misbranded or sub-standard food stands at between Rs 3-5 lakh.
Penalty in this bracket is likely to be hiked significantly. There are some changes that the authority is working on with regards to punishment as well. Businesses caught selling unsafe food resulting in both death-like situation and death could receive life imprisonment and an increase in fine.
At present, the punishment for unsafe food resulting in death is life imprisonment and Rs 10 lakh fine and the punishment for unsafe food resulting in grievous injury or death-like situation is imprisonment of 6 years and Rs 5 lakh fine.
This revision in penalty structure comes at a time when food adulteration rates in India are still significantly high.
Data sourced from FSSAI annual reports shows that, food adulteration rate in India has almost doubled over the last 5 years. Food adulteration rate in India stood at 23% in 2016-17 compared to 13% in 2011-12.The final contours of the penalty & punishment structure are still being finalised at this point. These changes proposed by the FSSAI could take about 4-6 months to come into effect.
State wants ‘khaini’ covered under food safety Act
PATNA: The Bihar health department plans to write to the Union health ministry, requesting it to include ‘khaini’ as a food product under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
‘Khaini’ is said to be a pure form of tobacco. Tobacco per se is not banned. Pure tobacco is not covered by the food safety wing.
Confirming the state health department’s move, department’s principal secretary Sanjay Kumar said on Thursday there was also a need to create awareness through different mediums about the harmful effects of tobacco.
Meanwhile, the Socio-Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS), an organisation collaborating in the state government’s effort to control tobacco use, on Thursday wrote to the state health department to include ‘khaini’ as a food product under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
“Khaini is the most prevalent form of smokeless tobacco used in Bihar. As per the Global Adult Tobacco Survey-2 of 2016-17, 25.9% of the state’s population use tobacco in different forms and 20.4% of them are addicted to ‘khaini’,” SEEDS executive director Deepak Mishra told this reporter.
The Centre had formed a Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force earlier this year. The first meeting of the task force chaired by Union health ministry secretary Preeti Sudan was held in Delhi on Thursday.
“Three civil societies, including SEEDS, have been roped in to support the task force. I presented a similar motion against ‘khaini’ at the meeting. The secretary asked FSSAI officials to look into the possibility of accepting ‘khaini’ as a food product,” Mishra said.
The state health department’s food safety wing on May 21 this year banned the manufacture, sale, and distribution of guthka and pan masala (with tobacco and nicotine) for the next one year.
Earlier, the State Health Society Bihar, in order to curb consumption of tobacco by minors at hookah bars and sheesha lounges, had issued a letter to all the DMs and civil surgeons to shut down all the illegal lounges in the state. It had also asked the authorities concerned in the districts to remove hoardings and banners advertising tobacco products.
Food safety goes for a toss as adulterated oil trading thrives
The recent raids conducted by the food safety department at food processing units have brought to light the trend of adulterated, inferior quality food items, edible oil and artificially ripened fruits being supplied to the city markets on a large-scale. The latest being the seizure of 15,000 litres of adulterer edible oil from a large-scale manufacturing unit in Madurai city on Wednesday night. The officials have closed down the unit, which was functioning at Hunuman Nagar in Chinthamani and samples collected are send to Chennai for testing.
This is the second such seizure in Madurai. Earlier, more than 4,000 litres of adulterated oil was seized at Alwarpuram near Goripalayam. According to officials, the seizures could be just the tip of the iceberg. They believe that the quantity seized on Wednesday could be just a day’s production and the product could have been in use for long, as the unit has been functioning for many years. Officials said that thousands of litres of adulterated oil could still be in retail stores.
Probably for the first time in Madurai the officials have seized the flavours used to ‘convert’ palmolein into groundnut and gingili oils. The seizure includes 10 litres of essence imported from Malaysia.
A team of food safety officials led by designated officer for food safety, Madurai district, Dr M Somasundaram conducted a search in the unit, which has been silently functioning in a 5,000 square feet space amid various other factories. "Everybody knows adulteration takes place in oil and sold at cheaper price. This is the first time that we could find essences used for adulteration. They were hidden inside a godown in a house belongs to the manufacturer," said Somasundaram.
The adulterated oil is packed in various quantities from 50 ml to 5 litres. While one litre of palmolein costs around Rs 70, the repacked oil after adding the essence is sold for more than Rs 100. It was found in two brands – Amutham and Maan. Officials said that the manufacturer has tried to play it safe by mentioning on the sachet of Amutham brand that the oil is for external use only. But the letters are very small to notice and it is not in Tamil. But in the Maan brand there is no such ‘warning’.
Talking about the health hazards of the oil, Dr Somasundaram said that while a litre of good quality groundnut oil is sold at Rs 200 and gingili oil at Rs 300, they have priced them around just Rs 100. People tend to be misguided and purchase them. When the price is just the half, they tend to use more oil in cooking, which will result in heart problems, stroke, obesity and diabetes. High consumption of a quantity of adulterated oil can also cause infertility, if used for a longer period of time.
Somasundaram said that they have warned retailers to be wary of these brands and have urged them to take it off the shelf. "Stringent action would be taken against the retailers also if they found to be selling adulterated oil. It is their duty to ensure quality," he warned.
Exercise prudence in choosing oil’
While a range of edible oil used for cooking is available in the market at various prices, experts urge the public to exercise prudence in choosing better products in terms quality. Since oil being one of the important ingredients in our food preparation, the quality of the oil cannot be compromised at any cost.
Agappai Muthukumar from the city, who has been into sensitising the health benefits of millets, says that good quality of oil cannot be purchased at a price lower than that of the raw materials required to produce the oil and people should be wary of adulterated oil. It takes at least 2kg of groundnut to get one litre of oil. At present 1kg of groundnut costs between Rs 80 and Rs 85. A simple maths can tell that good quality of groundnut oil cannot be sold anything less than Rs 200. But many brands are sold in the market between Rs 100 to Rs 160 a litre.
Food safety officials also warned the public to be wary of the cheap oils available in the market. At the same time, one cannot believe that those packed nicely and priced premium are of good quality. "There are many oil brands being sold in the name of cold pressed oil and priced over Rs 300 a litre. But in reality, their quality is similar to the ones sold in the market at half the price," a food safety official said.
Agappai Muthukumar added that many families on a tight budget cannot afford expensive oil all of a sudden. They can bring down the price to an extent if a group of families come together to produce the oil required for their families. All required ingredients are available in the market, which can be processed and taken to a cold press unit to get quality oil, he said.
Are you gorging on meat that’s illegal?
The holy month of Ramzanalso means feasting at the food hubs in the evenings, where kebabs and the choicest of meats are on display. The iftar hotspots also end up serving some exotic fare like emu, teetar and camel meats. The availability of these meats does get the foodies excited, but did you know there are only six kinds of meat that are legally permissable in the country. Previously, Dr Manilal Valliyate of PETA India, had told us, “The killing of animals other than these six broad groups are prohibited in India as per The Food Safety and Standards Act and Regulations.” According to the FSS Act and Regulations, only six kinds of meat are permissable in the country. These include ovines (sheep), caprines (goat), suillines (pigs), bovines (buffaloes), poultry (mainly chicken) and fish.
Mice-squirrel hair and stool: Do you know that all this is in your food?
Cinnamon, red chili, oregano, oregano, sesame, fennel, ginger, and other spices are often found in insects or animal stools.
Whenever I eat chocolate I only think about his calorie. Never thought of the presence of hair or stool in the rodent (rodents, rods, squirrels, etc.). But it seems that maybe I should think. In the United States, the American Food and Drug Authority (FDA), which decides the scale for food items, has released a booklet called 'Defensive Levels Handbook'. There is an acceptable scale in it.
According to this, 'the limits of natural and inevitable deficiencies in food items were fixed, which are not dangerous for humans.' The motivation behind the exemption from
'this natural and indispensable' fault is probably to provide protection from the lawsuits.
The FDA handbook gives approval for getting a hair of a rodent in a chocolate bar (about 100 grams). In this 100 grams 60 pieces of insects are also approved. Legally insects-regardless of any part of their body, larvae or anything on the body of the animal can be anything, they are allowed in 71 foods. You can find these peanut butter, red chilli, oregano, cinnamon, cassia and many other food items. Oregono can contain 300 pieces of insects, while 1250 pieces of insects are allowed in the ground Oregono. Tomato juice can be up to 10 grams of fly ages or a worm per 100 grams. 15 grams of dry mushrooms can have 20 insects or 75 pots. A box of cherries can contain 5 percent insects.
interesting thing is that the FDA has allowed the presence of the head of the insects in only one thing. . This is fig There are 13 heads in 100g of fig paste. But why only the head? God knows (probably the reason FDA is not even aware). However, what FDA well knows is how to make Rodant's ideal hair mix of food.
In a 100 gram peanut butter, 30 pieces of worm body and one hair of the rodent are allowed, making an ideal combination. 50 grams of cinnamon is allowed to add 400 pieces of insects and 10 hair of the rodent. 25 grams of capsicum is allowed in 75 pieces of body and 11 rodent hair.
Cinnamon, red chilli, oregano, oregano, sesame, fennel, ginger, and other spices are often found in insects or animal stools. FDA grants its 20 mg of cocoa beans in 1 kg. Nine Ladies are allowed in every kilogram of wheat. Even a lion is allowed in a sub-sample of a Ken's popcorn. However the size of the sub-sample in FDA's booklet has not been defined.
Know-how unknowingly you eat fungus
Fungi is also an acceptable flavor in most fruits, vegetables, butter and jam. Freshwater is acceptable for red pepper by about 20 percent. Freshwater is allowed to be 5% in Sharp leaf pack and 3% in frozen peach cane.
74% with the permission of fungus, Blackcurrent Jam is at the top of this list. Low-level fungus is also approved in tomato catchip, tomato juice and canned tomato.
If this is not enough, then the FDA handbook has approved the presence of 'Foreign Matter' in certain selected foods. is. It included stones, trays, jute fibers and cigarettes too! This is the 'natural or inevitable flaws in food, which do not threaten human health'.
If you are shocked by the low demand of American packaged food of poor quality, then pay attention to your own country. The Indian incarnation of the FDA is FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India). It also adheres to similar standards, but they are so misleading that no one bothers to read them. Rather than publishing them together in the handbook, it hides them under the guise of separate food for different foods.
When it comes to permissible food spoilers, FSSAI uses a terminology called 'external element'. It has been defined by defining it, 'Any element contained in any food item that comes from raw materials, packaging material or the processing system used in preparing it, but it does not make food harmful.'
FSSAI does not define a toxic element
FSSAI does not clearly define toxic elements in a handbook or document. Although it clearly shows in its various rules.
For example, the condition of FSSAI is just that the peanut can not be just 'practically' pebbles, dust, soil etc. in the roasted peanut. Apart from this, 5 percent of the total packet can be broken. In the case of most dry fruits and seeds, 2 percent can be 'swollen and broken', which also includes spoilage by insects. In the case of
Dukhi Aphani, FSSAI says that there should not be live insects in it, but 'logical' amounts can be a pile of insects, parts of vegetation and other objectionable things. Up to 3 percent the betel nut may be bad with fungi and insects.
Flour can be ashes up to 2% in packets. Nutritious dough, which is rich in nutrients or nutrients, can be as much as 2.75% ash. All types of grains, which include wheat, maize, jowar, millet, rice and most of the pulses of pulses, rajma, moong, lentils, urad etc, they have 1 percent foreign elements. It includes 0.1 percent impurity from animals. These essential things, which are eaten every day in every home in our country, contain pieces of some metals, sand, dust, pebbles, sand, sand and animals, and hair.
Do you know what you are eating?
In sugar, refined sugar and turmeric, 0.1% of external ingredients can be added, but in jaggery cases it can be up to 2%. If you are impressed with this exact assessment, on the other hand, in the case of the city, it is necessary to see only the eyes that there is no fungus, dust, garbage, flies and insects.
Likewise, India's favorite beverage- tea-only wants FSSI to stay alive insects, dead insects, insect fragments, moisture or 'remains of the roadway visible from the naked eye'. FSSI allows external elements of 1-2% in many types of salt and spices such as cumin, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and red chilli, turmeric, black pepper, coriander, fenugreek etc. It includes dust, dirt, stones, and parts of land, sheds.
An officer told me that when India needed pulses a few years ago, it was imported from Burma. There were too many stones in the pulse. FSSI then talked to his Ministry instead of raising this issue and changed the rules to allow more stones. In this way food quality is determined by corporations and regulatory bodies, which are set up to protect them. Then who will protect the consumers?
Jun 7, 2018
Soon, check an eatery’s FDA rating before booking table
MUMBAI: On the occasion of World Food Safety Day on Thursday, the state Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will flag off a pilot rating system for restaurants for the first time in the country. Restaurants will be rated on a scale of zero to five stars on the basis of hygiene and responsibility to customer safety.
The rating system, based on the ‘Scores on the Doors’ scheme followed in some western countries, will first be carried out in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. “The food hygiene rating given will reflect our inspection findings. The purpose of this scheme is to allow consumers to make informed choices about the places where they eat out. The aim is to reduce the incidence of food-borne illnesses and associated costs to the economy,” said FDA commissioner Pallavi Darade.
To get the hygiene stars, restaurants will first have to complete an online self-assessment. “Our inspectors will then go and inspect the restaurants on the parameters such as cleanliness, design and facilities, availability of water and soap, etc,” said Darade. Based on the FDA’s assessment, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India will give the hygiene rating to the restaurant. “The food hygiene rating will be based on what we find when we inspect the premises. We use a scoring system to rate how well a food business is run. The best is five stars and the worst is no stars,” Darade added.
The second rating, the “responsible place to eat” tag, can be earned if the place not only ensures that its staff is clean and undergoes periodic health checks, but even ensures that surplus food is not thrown out but donated. “We have some 20 parameters on which restaurants will be marked,” said a senior FDA official.
The eateries will also be graded on the advice they give out to customers: Be it awareness about balanced diet or the pitfalls of adding extra sugar and salt to food.
Establishments should ensure that all beverages are made in potable water and cooking methods are hygienic.
“We will also check if restaurants are transparent in allowing customers to visit their kitchens,” said Darade. Kitchens that are open and allow consumers to check on safety angles such as food handlers and cooks wearing protective gear, will be noted.” Having an effective consumer redressal mechanism with WhatsApp numbers or emails will be a plus point too, said officials.
The FDA has already carried out a small drive of grading 30 restaurants—15 in Mumbai, 10 in Pune and five in Nagpur— and their officials will be given the star ratings at a public function to be held in Bandra on Thursday.
Hygiene rating for restaurants soon
Restaurants will need to display scores at the entrance; optional requirement for now
Mumbai: In a first, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will rate restaurants on the basis of hygiene and parameters like water management, kitchen upkeep, food waste management, complaint handling etc. The restaurants will be required to display the scores on the doors so customers can easily see the information.
“This plan has been adopted in many countries and has been successful. Initially, it will not be a mandatory but voluntary for food joint owners. The success of this initiative will be achieved when visitors ensure they eat at restaurants with good ratings and are mindful of their eating habits,” said Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), who announced the initiative on Wednesday.
While it is an FSSAI initiative, the FDA will implement it. In Maharashtra, pilots will be carried out in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, and 30 restaurants will be given the score certificates in the first round.
In another initiative, the FDA will declare clean street food hubs. In the initial stages of the plan, the FDA will work with other associations in four zones: Juhu Chowpatty and Girgaum Chowpatty in Mumbai, Saras Baug in Pune and Phutara Talaav in Nagpur.
“We have already conducted activities for training and capacity-building of the street food vendors but problems like absence of clean water supply are much bigger . Hence, based on an approved framework, we will conduct a gap analysis and solve the problems,” said Dr. Pallavi Darade, FDA Commissioner. The FSSAI chief also emphasised the importance of food fortification.
On food fortification, Mr. Agarwal said, “Food fortification costs little. Hence, many companies and organisations are ready to adopt it including the Central Government, that ensures use of fortified food products in schemes such as the mid-day meal. Consumers too can now know if a product is fortified with the help of the ‘+F’ logo on the packaging.”
World Food Safety Day: FSSAI to rate quick service food joints on six parameters
In a pilot project in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will launch a hygiene plus rating system for quick service restaurants, food chains and joints to assess them on parameters like how they dispose off excess food, hygiene practices amongst staffers, safe water handling and how they promote consumer education about healthy eating.
Until now, 30 restaurants — 15 in Mumbai, 10 in Pune and five in Nagpur — have been rated on a scale of five based on six parameters by food inspectors.
“The concept will be expanded across India and we make such certification mandatory in future,” said Pawan Agrawal, CEO of FSSAI. Hygiene rating will also influence customer decision in choosing a place to eat, he said.
“We will also judge a restaurant on how transparent they keep their kitchen for customer visits, whether they have open kitchen or easy access,” Agrawal added.The six parameters will asses whether staff is medically examined for infectious diseases every six months, what the restaurant does with surplus food, whether it is providing hygiene and sanitation to customers, if the restaurant advices on nutritional status of food items, complaint management, waste water management and transparency in food preparation in kitchens. A major focus on concept of open kitchens will be laid to ensure food preparation is hygienic.
“The idea is to make consumers aware. Restaurants will start complying if a customer is affected by the hygiene standards of a food joint,” said Pallavi Darade, Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner. FDA has selected four food hubs in Maharashtra — in Juhu Chowpatty, Giragaum Chowpatty, Saras baug in Pune and Futala lake in Nagpur — to train street hawkers on hygiene practices, sanitation and healthy cooking habits.
“The framework has been prepared by central government. We will have to coordinate with other agencies and licensing authorities to ensure cleanliness is maintained. Declaring these hubs as clean street food hubs can take months,” Darade said.
Jun 6, 2018
Health at risk with only 3 food inspectors in Hyderabad
In the absence of food inspectors, the health and hygiene at eateries is a million dollar question.
Even though the state government has assured that the 26 vacancies in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation will be filled, no recruitment has been done till date.
Hyderabad: For a city with more than 20,000 food joints, 5,000 roadside pushcart vendors and 1.2 billion population, the civic body has only three food inspectors as against a required strength of 30.
They are in charge of ensuring that all registered restaurants and eateries abide by the acceptable standards of health and hygiene.
Even though the state government has assured that the 26 vacancies in the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation will be filled, no recruitment has been done till date.
In the absence of food inspectors, the health and hygiene at eateries is a million dollar question. Surprisingly, in its eagerness to achieve property tax targets, the GHMC has compromised on public health and deputed all the three food inspectors to collect tax. Officials admit that it is impossible to ensure hygiene and safety in all city hotels with the current staff. Due to the deficiency of staff, only about 50 food samples are tested thrice a week.
When contacted, the GHMC health wing officials denied the allegations and said that they had no role in collecting property tax till today. Instead, they said, they had recently attended a training programme organised by the Commissioner of Food Safety.
Commenting on the duties of food inspectors, a health wing official said, “We are expected to monitor all these facilities and ensure proper food and water, that there is no contamination or poisoning, that the kitchens and serving areas are clean and hygienic, and that no stale food is being dished out.”
Milk Adulteration: The white poison
Given its high demand, some miscreants indulge in adulteration and start trading on its quality for their selfish and cunning interests
Nature’s one of the richest sources of energy and nutrients- milk, is preferred by one and all alike from the beginning of time.
Dairy products always have had a special place in our dietary system. It is a major source of food for infants, children and even adults consume it in one form or another.
The moment a child is born his first meal is always milk. It is widely produced, consumed and always high in demand source of food worldwide.
Given its high demand, some miscreants indulge in adulteration and start trading on its quality for their selfish and cunning interests.
They have become so selfish that without thinking about the repercussions, they resort to unethical and criminal practices of adulteration which compromises on the quality and puts health of consumers which happen to be mostly children at risk.
Adulteration is the process of intentionally degrading the quality and concentration of milk by adding water to increase the selling quantity, using bovine growth hormones (BGH) which is a genetically engineered growth hormone identical to natural bovine pituitary product to increase milk production by 15 percent to 25 percent or by adding some cheaper or inferior chemicals and preservatives (which are mostly carcinogenic) to enhance its shelf life, either ways the quality of milk gets deteriorated.
This adulterated and substandard milk is then supplied throughout the state especially to urban areas via shabby delivery channels and stored in unhygienic conditions which further downgrade its quality.
Adulteration not only makes milk deficient in nutrients but mostly results in its contamination causing serious health risks.
Food poisoning, diarrhoea, brucellosis, abdominal pain, fever, listeriosis, inflammatory bowel syndrome are some of the diseases caused due to consumption of contaminated dairy products.
As per several researches the preservatives and chemicals used in feeds of these animals and in packed dairy products like cheese and toned milk are also known to be highly carcinogenic if consumed for a longer period.
Many dieticians don’t recommend consumption of milk to their patients as they fear that there may be biologically active metabolites of anti-microbe and contaminants in milk products that could result in serious health issues.
Substandard milk has now became a normal thing in our society and people have willingly or unwilling started to live with it and concerned authorities don’t feel the need or compulsion to take action against the culprits or implement some quality assurance in farms to reduce contaminants in milk and dairy products.
Yes, we do see some random anti-adulteration drives by authorities and some penalties once in a blue moon but given the seriousness of the crime I think it’s just not enough.
No proper system or checks are in place to control the quality of dairy products making it easier for these criminal elements to run their business.
In 2016, the Supreme Court of India while acting on the PIL based on the report titled “Executive Summary on National Survey on Milk Adulteration, 2011” released by Foods Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) which concluded that on a national level, 68.4 percent of milk being sold is adulterated, issued directions to prevent sale of adulterated and synthetic milk.
Sadly, in our state we don’t have much clinical records available and no proper testing mechanism is in place, so I am afraid the figures may be much higher than the national average.
As per some media reports which claim it to me more than 83 percent in the State of Jammu Kashmir.
Considering the seriousness of the matter and ongoing holy month of Ramadan, our state must implement some effective strategies to overcome this menace.
Authorities need to take appropriate steps like directing dairy farm owners, operators and retailers working in the state that if such adulterants are found in the milk, stringent action will be taken against them.
The actions should not just be limited to penalties and fines but should include other stringent punishments like imprisonment and cancellation of licenses as well.
State Food Safety Authorities should also ensure that there is adequate lab testing infrastructure and ensure that all labs are well-equipped.
To prevent adulteration of milk, the concerned department must set up a website specifying the functioning and responsibilities of food safety authorities.
Government must also evolve a robust complaint mechanism for checking corruption and other unethical practices of the food authorities and their officers.
District-wise special teams need to be allotted to regularly check the standard of food products available in market and awareness needs to be created among masses by way of media to identify and report adulteration incidents.
Toll free numbers for registering complaints also need to be made available. School children should be educated by conducting workshops and teaching them easy methods for detection of common adulterants in milk products.
These small steps will surely be very helpful in eradicating this social evil from our society and letting us live a healthy life.
Mobile van to examine food quality arrives in Steel CityJAMSHEDPUR
Fruit samples of litchi, Mango, and apple collected from Bistupur market
Jamshedpur : A mobile van called ‘Food Safety of Wheels’ arrived in the city on Monday to examine food quality and prevent adulteration. In view of rising number of street food and vendors offering delicious fast food as well as to check food adulteration in the city, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has provided one mobile van to the state to test the food standard.
The mobile food testing lab arrived in the city for the first time and tested fruits samples and edible items at Bistupur. The vehicle is equipped to conduct on-the-spot tests to check food quality in 15 minutes. The vehicle is equipped with milk analyser, hot air oven, hot plate, mixer grinder, digital weighing scale, digital multi parameter hand-held meter.
Following request from the East Singhbhum health department the lone mobile lab, allocated to the state health department food safety division was sent to Jamshedpur to check fruit samples mainly mango, litchi etc of adulteration.
East Singhbhum civil surgeon, Dr Maheshwar Prasad said that it is a very good initiative. The Food Safety of Wheels van will not only examine the food samples, but also create awareness among people about food adulteration. The Food Safety on Wheels will examine the food qualities available in crowd area, small hotels and markets.
According to information the mobile lab in a van is equipped with laboratory apparatuses along with two lab technicians and accompanied by district food safety officer Dr Gulab Lakra. As per the plans it will be visiting market areas in the city for the next three days (from Monday).
“Anyone can test the food items at the lab on the spot by paying a meager amount of Rs 20 and know if it is adulterated or not. Our team members will also be collecting samples from fruit sellers and snacks vendors and get it tasted. The sellers and vendors will have to pay the amount,” said Prasad.
Prior to this, the health department in the district has been only collecting samples of sweets and other edible items and so far refrained from collecting fruit samples.
“We want to maintain vigil fruit sellers, as such an on the spot test is being conducted for the first time. The sellers purchase fruits from wholesalers who use chemicals for artificial ripening of fruits and also use colours on litchi which have health hazards. During testing if the samples report is positive we will conduct raids at wholesale dealers,” said Dr Prasad.
On first day, fruit samples like litchi, Mango, and apple were collected from vendors at Bistupur Market. This apart, oils, paneer and other edible items used by vendors dealing in snacks were also collected from different parts of the Bistupur Market.
Jun 4, 2018
Insect found in Amul ice cream; FSSAI asks for report
Mumbai's Prabhe has posted a tweet from his handle - @prabhe_vishal - with a picture of the ice-cream and tagged the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) also in the tweet.
A citizen of Mumbai, Vishal Prabhe, has claimed that an insect was found in Amul ice-cream he bought in Mumbai last Wednesday. Prabhe has posted a tweet from his handle - @prabhe_vishal - with a picture of the ice-cream and tagged the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) also in the tweet.
“Hello all i am from Mumbai yesterday while eating Amul duetz raspberry ice cream found big insect inside pack almost i ate it. We give our kids to eat without checking because it brand @ceo_fssai @fsgindia @fssaiindia (Sic)”, Prabhe posted on Twitter
Hello all i am from Mumbai yesterday while eating Amul duetz raspberry ice cream found big insect inside pack almost i ate it. We give our kids to eat without checking because it brand @ceo_fssai @fsgindia @fssaiindia
Later, the FSSAI noticed the tweet by Prabhe and directed Amul to investigate the matter. The food authority also asked the Amul company to come up with a detailed report within five days.
Hello all i am from Mumbai yesterday while eating Amul duetz raspberry ice cream found big insect inside pack almost i ate it. We give our kids to eat without checking because it brand @ceo_fssai @fsgindia @fssaiindia pic.twitter.com/GXqukavaYm
@Amul_Coop You are requested to look into the matter and submit fact finding report to the complainant under intimation to @fssaiindia and @prabhe_vishal within 5 days.
When India TV Digital team contacted Vishal, he informed that a team of officials from Amul had visited his place and expressed regret on the entire episode.
However, Vishal expressed unhappiness and said that he wasn't still satisfied.
Caterers to be FDA certified for food safety
Food and Drug Administration, Goa in collaboration with Envirocare Labs, Pune, conducted a training programme for the catering fraternity recently. The programme was inaugurated by Jyoti Sardesai, director, FDA-Goa and Nilesh Amritkar, managing dirtector, Envirocare. Around 40 catering firms participated in the training held at the conference hall, FDA office, Bambolim
As per the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, it is mandatory for every food operator to have the services of at least one certified personnel for every twenty five employees trained under the Food Safety Training and Certification Scheme of FSSAI. In order to fulfil this requirement FSSAI had identified certain training partners to perform the task of which Envirocare is one of the partners.
The certificates for the training programme will be generated through the online system, which will be valid for two years and thereafter every participant will have to undergo refresher training for further renewal of certificate.
The FDA has asked all food operators to enrol for the training at the earliest as the deadline set for the completion of the mandatory training and certification is December 31, 2018. An upcoming training sessionto to be held in the last week of June 2018 will focus on packaged drinking water and beverage manufacturers.
Rs 15 Lakh worth banned tobacco products seized in Trichy
TRICHY: The Thottiyam police personnel and food safety department officials have seized Rs 15 lakh worth banned tobacco products from a private godown in Viswas Nagar locality near Palpannai here on Sunday. Food safety department officials have collected samples from the seized tobacco products and sent them for laboratory inspection.
Thottiyam police said that on May 27, a truck heading to Trichy from Bengaluru was said to be stolen after a gang of eight men intercepted and assaulted the truck driver near Manamedu. Subsequently, the driver of stolen truck V Kumar lodged a complaint with Thottiyam police. A day later, the police recovered the stolen vehicle abandoned near Jeeyapuram. Though the complainant claimed that the truck was carrying health drink, the police during investigation suspected that the truck perhaps would have transported banned tobacco products. As the inquiry led a team of police to a private godown near Viswas Nagar, Thottiyam police on Sunday recovered Rs 15 lakh worth banned tobacco products stocked in 22 bundles.
As food safety department officials were alerted, samples were taken from the seized tobacco products to ascertain their nature. “Chewable tobacco, pan masala, and two other types of tobacco banned through Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 were recovered from the godown. It may take 20 days to disclose the results of the samples collected,” a food safety department official said.
Drive from June 15 to check hygiene at roadside eateries
Venders sell street food in Patna on Sunday
PATNA: The state food safety department is going to launch a special monsoon food safety drive from June 15 to keep a check on hygiene at different food joints, roadside eateries, hotels and restaurants across the city.
“From June 15 onwards, a drive will be conducted at roadside stalls to check waterborne diseases like cholera, diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal ailments caused by contaminated water, food and unhygienic surroundings at these places,” principal secretary (health) Sanjay Kumar, who is also the food safety commissioner, told this newspaper on Sunday.
“All the food stalls in the city with annual turnover of more than Rs12 lakh will have to get themselves registered with food safety department. Moreover, licence will be made mandatory for all such food joints in the wake of increasing adulteration and hygiene-related threats,” he said.
Elaborating about the drive, Kumar said, “Food samples will be collected from various shops. In case of violation of safety norms, licence of shops will be temporarily suspended. Besides, fines will be imposed in accordance with the gravity of offence. Our major focus will be to trace down the busiest localities where the number of roadside stalls is quite large, such as Maurya Lok and outside Patna Junction.”
However, he added, “The task of conducting this drive is enormous as the city has thousands of roadside stalls and eateries and the department has very few staff.”
Talking about the harm of eating roadside food during monsoon, Dr Ravi Kirti of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Patna said, “The growth of bacteria is very fast during monsoon. Some of the commonly found pathogens in street foods are Staphylococcus aureus, which causes vomiting, mild fever and appetite loss, a species of salmonella that causes food poisoning and inflammation of gastrointestinal tract and bacillus cereus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea.”
Karuna Saini, who was spotted at a food stall near Boring Road intersection, said, “I enjoy eating street food, but I am very specific about the places where I eat. I make sure that the stall or ‘thela’ has hygienic surrounding and cleanliness.”
Jun 3, 2018
6,200 litres of banned coconut oil seized
A day after a ban was imposed on 45 brands of coconut oil in the State, Food Safety authorities on Saturday seized nearly 6,200 litres of coconut oil in the Kovalam circle.
The coconut oil belonged to three brands manufactured by Jithu Oil Mills at Asanvila. Half litre and 1 litre pouches of Kera Three-in-One, Kera Premium Gold, and Parimritham, estimated to cost nearly ₹13 lakh were seized. The brands were not registered.
Statutory samples of the three brands were also seized and sent to the Government Analyst’s Laboratory here for testing.
Food Safety officials said they had collected samples of various brands of coconut oil from the market, and one brand manufactured by Jithu Oil Mills had been found substandard. Their brands had also been found to be substandard in other districts and figured among those banned. Hence, an inspection was conducted at their manufacturing unit. Different brands of oil were found there and were seized.
Edible oil used in Step by Step was sub-standard, says lab report
The edible oil was used to make paranthas at the school
Noida: The report by UP government’s food testing laboratory has stated that the edible oil used in the preparation of paranthas served to students of Step by StepSchool, who fell ill after consuming the food, was sub-standard.
However, officials said that the sub-standard edible oil cannot be the reason for food poisoning as it did not contain any harmful or poisonous substance. On April 5, nearly 190 students fell ill due to food poisoning after consuming food in the school.
The report added that the samples of the raw ajwain (carom seeds) collected from the school met standards.
Interestingly, as the school had disposed the food prepared that day, a team from the food safety and drug administration (FSDA) and the city magistrate could not gather any samples of the same and could collect only two samples of raw ingredients – ajwain and edible oil.
Sanjay Sharma, designated officer, FSDA department, told TOI that the report of the samples sent to the Rajkiya Khadya Evam Aushadhi Vishleshak Prayogshala came on Saturday. “The samples of the edible oil have been found sub-standard but it did not contain anything which can cause food poisoning. The raw carom seeds have been found to be meeting standards,” Sharma said.
TOI had earlier reported that the water samples taken from the school tanks on April 11 by a team of the health department had not revealed any contamination. These samples were taken after the school got all the tanks cleaned.
Officials, however, point out that since the tanks and even dust-bins of the school were cleaned after the incident, it will not be possible to know the real reason for the food poisoning.
Chief medical officer Anurag Bhargava said the school had cleared everything and had allowed entry to food officials after making them wait for nearly two hours.
“All the samples are clear but 190 children fell sick. Isn’t it a lapse on the part of the school and the administration? They should at least have collected the water samples,” a parent of one of the students who were hospitalised, told TOI.
A statement from Step by Step school said: “We have not received the report from the authorities as yet. We are awaiting finding of the investigation by the authorities.”
Raid on eatery exposes unhygienic conditions
Vijayawada: Raids conducted by the officials of the food safety department on an eatery on Museum Road on Friday and ice factories on May 22 in some parts of Krishna district exposed the horrible conditions prevailed in the eateries and ice factories.
The officials were shocked to see the poor hygienic conditions in the eatery on Kaleswara Rao Road and immediately seized it on Friday.
Keeping in view of the demand for variety of dishes, the owners of the eateries and restaurants are simply cooking and serving the customers without maintaining hygienic conditions on their premises and kitchens. The officials also noticed stale food items in the eatery.
The food safety department officials after receiving complaints from the customers raided the Good Morning Restaurant on Friday and seized it.
Assistant food controller (AFC) N Purnachandra Rao led the raid. The officials noticed that stale flour was being used for making different food items.
Moreover, the sanitation conditions inside the restaurant were also very bad.
Good Morning Restaurant is located in a very important location at Governorpet.
Consequently, a large number of customers visit the restaurant every day. Unfortunately, the management had failed to maintain hygiene and use quality raw materials in preparation of food items.
Assistant food controller N Purnachandra Rao said the restaurant was seized due to poor hygienic conditions and using stale material for cooking.
This is only a tip of the iceberg. If the officials conduct raids on some more restaurants in the city, many facts will be exposed about the poor quality of food served to the customers and poor hygiene inside the eateries and restaurants.
Due to shortage of staff, the food safety department is not able to conduct raids on many restaurants, hotels and eateries in the city.
Hundreds of road side eateries are serving food items from 5 am in the morning to 10.30 pm. In most cases, the owners are neglecting the environs in kitchen and wash rooms.
In the rainy season, there is a possibility of outbreak of seasonal deceases due to poor hygienic conditions.
Customers are asking the officials to conduct more raids on the eateries, restaurants and hotels in the city and keep a vigil on the hygienic conditions, quality of material used for cooking.
Raids conducted by the officials on four ice factories on May 22 in the district also exposed the dirty conditions prevailed in the ice factories.
Jun 2, 2018
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FSSAI to limit trans fat in vanaspati/margarine to below 2 pc in phased manner
New Delhi, Jun 1 () Food safety regulator FSSAI today said it has decided to bring down the trans-fatty acids (TFA) in vanaspati/bakery shortenings/margarine to less than 2 per cent in a phased manner, which would effectively bring the level of trans fats to zero level in food in India.
Since the industry has agreed on the issue, the regulator said it will soon notify a draft regulation and release the final one in the next 3-4 months, it said.
TFA are largely present in vanaspati (used in preparation of sweets and deep fried foods) and margarine and bakery shortenings. Trans-fatty acids are also formed during repeated heating of fats/oils while deep frying at home and restaurants.
"We are planning to achieve less than 2 per cent TFA content by 2022, a year ahead of the global target to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fat from the food supply by the year 2023," Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal said in a statement.
TFA reduction in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVOs) from 5 per cent to 2 per cent will be carried out in a phased manner by the industry, he said.
He hoped that this initiative will drive the market for trans-fat free products in the future.
Many countries around the world, such as Denmark, Chile, Norway, Singapore, South Africa and Equador already limit trans-fat in all foods to 2 per cent, while a few other countries such as Austria, Hungary and Latvia limit it to 2 per cent level with some exceptions.
Research has shown that higher intakes of trans-fatty acids is associated with increased risk of high cholesterol and heart diseases.
Trans fatty acids can be easily eliminated by adopting newer technologies which allow use of healthier oils in place of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils at negligible costs.
Recently, the UN body World Health Organisation (WHO) has given a call to eliminate industrially-produced trans-fats from the food supply by 2023 and has released an action package 'REPLACE' for the same.Industrially produced trans-fatty acids are bad fats, created artificially during hydrogenation processes while making PHVOs, which are the major source of trans-fatty acids in India.
Liquor bottle labels will carry message to curb drunk-driving
India’s apex food safety regulator has made it mandatory for all liquor bottles to have a message against drink-driving on their labels from April next year.
NEW DELHI: India’s apex food safety regulator has made it mandatory for all liquor bottles to have a message against drink-driving on their labels from April next year. A notification in this regard was published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare through the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India. “Be Safe-Don’t Drink and Drive”, the warning on liquor bottle labels will read.
The new rule says that every liquor bottle, whether of country made liquor, Indian-Made Foreign Liquor, or imported alcohol, will carry the textual warnings in English, Hindi or a regional language. The Authority, however, rejected a proposal to add a pictorial warning on the lines of those on cigarette packets.
The development follows a direction from the Delhi High Court, which had asked the FSSAI to look into the matter, on a petition filed by the NGO Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD).
“Countries across the world that have adopted such warnings include USA, Kenya, South Africa, Thailand, Zimbabwe, Taiwan, Mexico, and Turkey,” said Prince Singhal of CADD. “These nations have been able to bring down drink-driving tragedies,” he said.
According to official data, the fatality rate in road crashes involving drink-driving is high. Over 70 per cent of the victims end up dead.
Food safety officials raid fast food joint
Vijayawada: Officials of the food safety department raided Good Morning Fast Food joint situated on Kaleswaa Rao Road here on Friday and seized the stale food from the premises. Food safety department officer Purnachandra Rao headed the raid and seized the stale food and sent the same to a laboratory for testing.
“The fast food joint was seized since the management is running it without obtaining necessary licence,” Purnachandra Rao said and added that a case was registered under Section 36 of Food Safety and Standards Act.
Hotel raided in city
Officials of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) conducted a raid on Good Morning hotel and fast food centre, located on Museum Road and Friday.
They reportedly seized some dishes prepared with stale items and collected samples. The team led by Assistant Food Controller N. Purnachandar Rao verified the oils, flour, vegetables, rice and other ingredients being used for preparing fast foods.
The FSSAI authorities sealed the hotel and registered a case.
Jun 1, 2018
Police tighten probe against govt officials in gutka unit case
Coimbatore: The rural police have intensified their inquiry against the former executive officer (EO) of Kannampalayam town panchayat and an officer from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Coimbatore, in connection with the illegal gutka manufacturing unit case.
According to police sources, the state government banned sales and manufacturing of gutkha products in 2012.
In 2013, FSSAI officials raided a few shops in Tirupur and found gutka. Immediately, the officials registered a case and imposed a fine of Rs 10,000 each on the illegal gutkha unit manager Raghuram and owner Amit Singh of New Delhi. While Raghuram had paid the fine amount, Amit Singh is yet to pay the amount. The case is still pending before the FSSAI.
The Coimbatore rural police are currently reinvestigating the case. Police said Raghuram had given fake address to the officials then.
The FSSAI officials had failed to collect full details about Raghuram and Amit Singh. So, the duo continued to operate the unit and manufacture gutka. They had even obtained license from FSSAI to make pan masala.
A few officials from FSSAI, Coimbatore, had visited the illegal gutka manufacturing unit at Kannampalayam since 2013. But they had failed to find out the gutkha manufacturing unit. Now, the police have started investigation against the officials,” said a police source.
“We have asked the Kannampalayam town panchayat officials to submit the resolution details to us. If officials are involved in the case, then they will also be arrested,” said a police officer.
On April 27, a police team raided the illegal gutka manufacturing unit at Kannampalayam and seized 3.24 lakh sachets of gutka, pan masala and raw materials from the unit. Police arrested Raghuram and three migrant labourers in connection with the case.
Later, former president of Kannampalayam town panchayat Thalapathi Murugesan was also arrested by the police.
At present the sale of gutkha is a bailable offence with a punishment of maximum six months in prison
In one of the major drives in recent times, officers of the Maharashtra Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) recently raided and sealed nearly 81 paan beedi shops in Mumbai and seized banned gutkha and other scented tobacco products worth Rs 15 lakh.
In the raid conducted on May 24 and 25, by 18 specially formed squads, the action was taken against 89 vendors and notices were served on them. Now they will have to approach the court to reopen their shops, Joint Commissioner Shailesh Adhav told The Afternoon DC and added that similar drives will be carried out in other parts of the state too. The sealed shops include those located at Null Bazar, Dongri, Dharavi, Saki Naka, Chembur and Kurla. In the raid, an illegal factory at Null Bazar, engaged in manufacture of tobacco products clandestinely was also sealed.
“In view of the sensitive nature, the drive was carried out with assistance from the Joint Police Commissioner (EOW) Ashutosh Dumbre and DCP Parag Manere, Adhav said and added that during the raid they faced resistance of 100 to 200 persons at every shop, especially in the areas like Null Bazar and Kurla. Since 2012, FDA has seized gutkha worth Rs 114.2 crore. At present the sale of gutkha is a bailable offence with a punishment of maximum six months in prison. In last budget session, FDA minister Girish Bapat had told the state legislature that the sale of gutkha will be made a non-bailable offence.
Maharashtra is on top ranking in consumption of paan masala and 43 per cent of men and 19 per cent of women consume the gutkha and tobacco products. The state earns nearly Rs 100 crore tax revenue, solely from gutkha and paan masala products with industry doing more than Rs 300 crore business. Mumbai too contributes a larger share of that amount. While a debate about tobacco consumption leading to cancer continues, the World Health Organization (WHO) had classified areca or betel nut as carcinogenic to humans even without the addition of tobacco to it, in 2004. Maharashtra government had issued notification banning the gutkha on May 20, 2008. However in response to a petition filed by some tobacco product manufacturers, the court had stayed the ban. After concerted litigation, on September 16, 2012, the Bombay High Court upheld the ban on gutkha and paan masala.
In the same year (2012), the state government banned the Gutkha under the Food Standards and Safety Act, 2006. In the following year, the state banned khaini (flavoured tobacco), supari (processed betel nut) and mawa or kharra (a mix of processed tobacco, betel nut and lime). In 2014, the state government issued fresh notification banning the gutka and extended it for one more year, from July 20, 2015 onwards.
Food safety officials raid shops, seize 10 kg of gutkha
Keeping the heat: I. Dhanaraju, Food Safety Officer, raided a petty shop selling tobacco and food products, on ‘World No Tobacco Day,’ in Puducherry on Thursday.
World No-Tobacco Day observed in Puducherry
On the occasion of World No-Tobacco Day, a team from the Food Safety department raided 50 shops across the city.
The team led by I. Dhanraju, Food Safety officer, seized 10 kg of gutkha and 100 kg of expired food products from a petty shop in Rangapillai Street.
Raids were conducted in shops on Anna Salai, Bussy Street, Kamaraj Salai, Lenin Street, MG Road and Rangapillai Street.
Fine up to a lakh
Mr. Dhanraju said the shopkeepers should refrain from selling banned tobacco products and out-of-date commodities.
They could face fines up to ₹1 lakh on seizure of such items, he added.
Consumers can lodge a complaint against the shopkeepers selling banned and expired products.
The government has also spread awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco.
“The public should cooperate with us and stop using banned products,” he said.
Canteens in govt offices told to get FSSAI licence
NEW DELHI, MAY 31
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has urged all Ministries and Central government offices to ensure that departmental canteens and cafeterias have a licence from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). This is being done to ensure that safe and nutritious food is served in these canteens and cafeterias.
It has also asked all the Ministries and Central government departments to nominate food safety supervisors, who will undergo a training workshop organised by FSSAI from June 16. As per estimates, more than 1,000 canteens and cafeterias are run in Central government office premises.
FSSAI advisory
This move comes after the FSSAI issued an advisory in April, asking all food business operators that run canteens and cafeterias in Central government offices and educational institutions to get the mandatory licence or registration.
As per regulations, all food businesses which have Central or State licences, must have at least one trained food safety supervisor for every 25 food handlers in each premise. In addition, these food safety advisors have to undergo training and certification by December 31 under the Food Safety Training & Certification (FoSTac) imitative.
In its circular sent to all the Ministries and Central Government offices, the DoPT said the first phase of training workshop for food safety supervisors will begin on June 16. “All the Ministries/departments are requested to nominate individuals to FSSAI for the said training of food safety supervisors and ensure active participation in the same,” it added.
Earlier this month, the FSSAI launched a nationwide campaign for safe and nutritious food at workplace called SNF@Workplace.
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