Jun 18, 2018
Ten Gurudwaras in Delhi implement FSSAI food safety guidelines for Langars
The stricter set of food safety standards and hygiene have been put in place at all the 10 Gurudwaras where around one lakh devotees partake Langar, said Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh.
Ten Gurudwaras in the national capital including the historical Bangla Sahib Gurudwara have implemented the food safety and hygiene standards set by food regulator FSSAI. The stricter set of food safety standards and hygiene have been put in place at all the 10 Gurudwaras where around one lakh devotees partake Langar, said Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee (DSGMC) president Manjit Singh. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has initiated Project BHOG (Blissful Hygienic Offering to God) to encourage all places of worship in the country to adopt and maintain food safety and hygiene in the preparation of Prasad.
The project was among the Safe and Nutritious Food (SNF) bouquet of initiatives launched by the country’s apex food regulator last year. “DSGMC has surpassed the stringent targets set by Union Ministry of Health under FSSAI’s project BHOG to ensure that Sikh Sangat (visiting devotees) are served safe, hygienic and nutritious prasad at all the ten historic historic gurudwaras managed by it in national capital,” Singh claimed.
Around one Lakh devotees partake Prasad (Guru Ka Langar) in these Gurdwaras on week days and the number rises more than five Lakhs on weekend and festive occasions, he said. The management committee has set up food safety and hygiene standards for the community kitchens preparing Langar and Prasad with rules related with procurement of ingredients like ghee, vegetables, milk and grains.
Desi ghee and edible oils purchased by the committee for use in Langar are standardised and tested for purity in government labs. Payment to suppliers is made only after the lab reports are obtained, he said.
Vegetables are directly procured from Azadpur Mandi to ensure freshness and nutritional contents, while fortified staple items rice, flour and milk are procured to make prasad nutritious and wholesome, he said. Reverse osmosis (RO) plants have been set up to provide clean water for cooking to prevent contamination of food.
Apart from materials used, the training and adoption of hygienic practices by the food handlers is being closely monitored, Singh said.
All regular employees engaged in Langar kitchen are required to wear aprons, gloves and head covers. Certain items like chapatis are prepared using standard equipment without being touched by food handlers. All Langar premises are cleaned twice a day to ensure proper sanitation and hygiene standards, he said.
The management committee is in regular touch with civic agencies to ensure strict adherence to guidelines and directives for hygienic maintenance of Langar places. A non-profit group has been engaged by the committee for regular training and updating of the Langar employees and food handlers in matters relating to food safety and hygiene standards, Singh said. Workshops and training sessions are organised for the food handlers and vendors in Gurudwaras to sensitise them about the need for food safety regulations and health hygiene, he added.
Delhi Gurdwaras to set stringent food standards
The objective is to provide homely food to thousands of urban poor who depend on these langars to satiate themselves
NEW DELHI: Community kitchens in ten major gurdwaras in Delhi are set to make healthy food accessible to everyone through a stricter set of safety standards, hygiene, quality and flavours.
These kitchens, also popularly known as langars operate on principles rooted in bringing people together and advocating good health through nutritional food, said Manjit Singh G.K., President of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) today.
He said that the DSGMC has surpassed the stringent targets set by Union Ministry of Health under FSSAI project BHOG (Blissful and Hygienic Offering to God) to ensure that the Sikh Sangat (visiting devotees) is served safe, hygienic and nutritious food from the kitchen (Guru ka Langar) and prasad at all gurdwaras managed by it in Delhi.
Project BHOG was among the Safe and Nutritious Food (SNF) bouquet of initiatives launched by the country's apex food regulator last year.
Around 100,000 (one lakh) devotees take the Prasad (Guru Ka Langar) at DSGMC-controlled gurdwaras on week days, while over the weekend, it is more than 500,000(five lakhs). Festivals like Holi, Baishakhi and Gurpurb also see huge crowds at community kitchens.
The Prasad consists usually of chapatis, dal, sabzi and kheer, which are served at regular intervals.
The objective is to provide homely food to thousands of urban poor who depend on these langars to satiate themselves.
Manjit Singh GK said that the gurdwara management committee has put in place food safety standards and hygiene maintenance. Ingredients are standardised and tested for purity at government laboratories before use in cooking.
He said vegetables are directly procured from the wholesale Azadpur Mandi to ensure freshness. Employees engaged in langars are required to wear yellow aprons, gloves and turbans.
Manjit Singh GK said all langars are cleaned twice a day. Each langar building has marbled floors and proper ventilation to ensure a healthy environment.
"Anyone and everyone can work in these kitchen. In fact, volunteers do more work than the staff in preparing meals. The only rule that one has to adhere to is serve with clean hands," he said.
Wastage like flowers, food ,fruits are taken away in large trolleys and deposited with the civic bodies, he said, adding that DSGMC keeps in regular touch with civic agencies and observes guidelines for maintaining cleanliness, hygiene and purity.
He said workshops and training sessions are organised at regular intervals to sensitize staff and volunteers about the need for observing food safety regulations and health hygiene in gurdwara community kitchens.
Jun 15, 2018
6,000kg fish preserved in formalin returned to Hyderabad
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: There is an alarming increase in the quantity of fish sold in the state that has been preserved using formalin, a toxic chemical. In the latest instance, the food safety department seized and returned 6,000kg sardines brought to Edappazhanji fish market in Thiruvananthapuramfrom Hyderabad after they tested positive for high formalin content .
The seizure was made during the wee hours of Sunday and the truck was returned from the check post at Amaravila on Monday.
The samples have been sent to the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT) for detailed examination.
"There has been a rise in the use of formalin in the fish brought from other states. The food safety department has been undertaking routine and random inspections at the check-posts. The public has also been advised to inform food safety officials if they suspect the presence of additives in the fish they buy," food safety commissioner M G Rajamanickam said.
In another incident, the department returned another consignment of about 500kg fish brought from Tuticorin, which was found to be rotten and preserved in formalin.
Also, in some of the recent incidents, samples collected from Kaduthuruthy, Ettumannoor, Kottayam and Kanjirappally had tested positive for formalin, and the cases have been sent for prosecution.
As part of a project titled Sagar Rani, the department had collected samples from many parts of the state, and several of them tested positive for formalin.
Food safety officials said the state had been witnessing an influx of fish from Karnataka, Andhra, Goa and Tamil Nadu in large quantities via Manjeshwaram, Walayar and Amaravila check posts.
"Some of the consignments were visibly rotten, but these were being sold after mixing them with fresh fish, especially in rural areas," Rajamanickam said.
The department has been gearing up for a more intense drive by increasing its random sample collection in fish markets across the state.
But the department has also been facing the problem of lack of space to scientifically dispose of such fish.
FSAT upholds judgment of Adjudicating Officers
Jammu Tawi, Jun 14
In a landmark Judgment announced by the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal, Jammu under Food Safety & Standards Act,2006 , the Court has upheld the judgments pronounced by Adjudicating Officers of District Samba and Udhampur in the Cases titled Food Safety Officer Samba V/s Fill industries Ltd SIDCO, Electronic Complex Rangreth-Srinagar & Others, Food Safety Officer Udhampur V/S M/s Sarveshwar Organic Food Ltd-Jammu wherein a fine of Rs Five Lacs Fifty Thousand have been imposed on the accused parties.
The Cases were pleaded by Adv Chowdhary Mohammad Ayoub who appeared for the Department before the Food Safety Appellate Tribunal Jammu. It is pertinent to mention here that during last year; 1921 statutory samples of various food articles were lifted from Jammu Province wherein 564 samples were found in contravention of FSSA.
Accordingly, Legal action was initiated against the defaulter companies. Out of which 497 cases have been decided and fine amounting to Rs 45,14,600 have been imposed on the violators.
Remove and REPLACE – because even small quantities of trans fat in the diet cause big damage to health
The use of artificial ‘trans fat’ in edible oils imperils health. New WHO guidelines advocate for a return to better-known, traditionally used alternatives.
On 14 May, the World Health Organisation called on all countries to make the world free of trans fats by 2023. A number of countries have already accomplished this, including a range of middle and lower income countries worldwide that have heavily restricted or eliminated trans fats altogether.
They do so with good reason.
Industrially produced trans fats are artificial compounds formed by ‘partial hydrogenation of edible oils’ that are harmful when consumed, even at low levels. In the South-East Asia Region, partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (PHVOs) are the primary source of trans fats in food items.
Commercial food production, particularly with regard to bakery products such as biscuits and pastries, uses high amounts of PHVOs, thus increasing the risk of trans fat consumption. Changing food patterns and the popularity of processed foods is likely to increase trans fat intake. Likewise, high levels of trans fat have also been found elsewhere, especially in food produced by informal vendors. Trans fats dramatically increase the risk of heart attack.
Replacing oils containing high trans fats with healthier options will have no impact on the taste or availability of food, and will dramatically advance health and wellbeing. It will also help achieve WHO South-East Asia’s regional target and Flagship Priority of reducing noncommunicable diseases by one-fourth by 2025, and then by one-third by 2030, as per the Sustainable Development Goal targets.
Mustard, sunflower, rapeseed (canola), ground nut, and soya based oils are all healthier alternatives. These crops are valuable, efficient and in high demand. Importantly, the increased growth, production and use of these crops will enhance the health and wellbeing of people and align the region with the global drive to restrict trans fats and save millions of lives at virtually no cost to government or consumers.
To that end, WHO’s six step REPLACE action package – launched last week in Geneva – provides all countries with proven tools to completely eliminate trans fats from their national food supply and counter increasingly changing food patterns. At present, 90% of people around the world – about 6.5 billion – are exposed to these artery clogging substances, with little to no government support or alternatives offerred. WHO’s REPLACE package aims to accelerate restrictions on trans fat products via an easy six step process. Each of these steps can be readily embraced, implemented and enforced, with game changing effect.
First is reviewing dietary sources of trans fats and the landscape required for policy change. Second is promoting the replacement of trans fats with healthier fats and oils. Third is legislating or enacting regulatory actions to eliminate trans fats. Fourth is assessing and monitoring trans fat content in the food supply and changes in trans fat consumption in the population. Fifth is creating awareness of the negative health impact of trans fats among policymakers, producers, suppliers and the public. And sixth is enforcing compliance with policies and regulations.
If implemented effectively, the WHO REPLACE package will ensure prompt, complete and sustained elimination of trans fats from the world’s food supply, thereby driving down demand. That is a good that will give many times over, saving billions of dollars in both developed and developing economies, and slashing the rate of premature deaths worldwide. But making that happen requires more than goodwill; it requires a willingness to act, and to do so decisively.
WHO’s new guidelines provide the opportunity and incentive to replace oils high in trans fats regionwide with locally made, healthy alternatives. That opportunity should be grasped, and a return to better known, traditional alternatives embraced.
The writer is Regional Director WHO South-East Asia Region
Jun 14, 2018
Artificially ripened banana seized
THENI
Artificially ripened banana weighing around one tonne was seized from the Allinagaram daily market and destroyed here on Wednesday.
Led by Food Safety Officer Dr. J. Suguna, a team of Food Safety Department officials conducted a raid around 5.30 a.m. They found that six shops were selling artificially ripened banana. The seized the fruits worth ₹25,000 and destroyed them.
Three sprayers used for spraying chemicals on the fruits to ripen them were also seized, she added.
Dr. Suguna said that she received a tip off that chemicals were sprayed on fruits and chemical sprayed and artificially ripened fruits were on display for sale at weekly and daily markets in Theni, Periyakulam, Cumbum, Bodi and Chinmanaur. To lodge any complaint, the public may contact mobile 94440-42322 for immediate action, she advised.
CSE calls for more stringent Food Safety norms
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has called for making the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018 more effective and stringent. The draft Regulations had been released for comments by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in April, 2018. They mandate compulsory labelling of salt and introduction of front-of-pack labelling.
CSE has submitted its recommendations to the FSSAI to ensure a robust labelling framework in India.
“A strict labelling law is very important to combat obesity and non-communicable diseases plaguing our country. Though this draft Regulation is a good beginning, it also has major gaps that need to be plugged to make it effective,” said Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general, CSE.
One of the significant gaps that CSE has pointed out is that the draft Regulation does not provide for labelling of crucial aspects like added sugar and dietary fibres. “Public health and nutrition experts recommend that it is best to avoid added sugar in food items. It can be measured and controlled and therefore, must be labelled. Also, dietary fibre is a key beneficial component of our diet and must also be labelled. This will help consumers make informed and healthy food choices,” said Amit Khurana, programme director, food safety and toxins unit, CSE.
The draft Regulation merely states that HFSS (high in fat, sugar or salt) food products shall not be advertised to children in any form. CSE researchers point out that this is not enough. “Children are key consumers of HFSS food items and the burden of childhood obesity is rising. The FSSAI needs to adopt a detailed framework to regulate advertisement of HFSS foods. Celebrities should not be allowed to endorse them and there should be no advertisement of certain food categories such as soft drinks. Broadcasting regulations should be developed to limit the exposure of children to food advertisements during prime time programmes,” said Sonam Taneja, programme manager, food safety and toxins unit, CSE.
The draft Regulation emphasises on providing nutrition information for each serving of a food item. It also lays down that consumers should be made aware of the contribution of each serving to one’s daily quota of salt, sugar or fat. However, it does not standardise serving sizes. “Determination of serving sizes has been left to the industry -- this is a big loophole. We have seen that the food industry often claims very small serving sizes which are far from the reality and manipulates food labels. Serving sizes must be set by the FSSAI based on how much is customarily consumed by people in the Indian scenario,” said Bhushan.
The draft Regulation introduces labelling of genetically modified (GM) food. The FSSAI has been under the scanner for presence of GM food in India by way of import and otherwise.
CSE has recommended that through the Regulation, the FSSAI must aim to regulate illegal GM food in India and should set a stricter bar for exemption from GM labelling -- the bar set in the draft Regulations is very weak. “The FSSAI has a crucial role in ensuring food safety and a strong labelling regulation is a must to fulfil this mandate,” added Bhushan.
Do not allow ads for soft drinks: CSE
Research organisation gives suggestions to food safety authority on draft regulations
“Children are key consumers of food items that are high in fat, sugar and salt, which is leading to a rise in childhood obesity. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India needs to adopt a detailed framework to regulate ads of these items,” said a release issued by the Centre for Science and Environment.
The CSE also called for making the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018, more effective and stringent.
The draft regulations had been released for comments by the FSSAI in April. The regulations mandate compulsory labelling of salt and introduction of front-of-pack labelling.
“A strict labelling law is important to combat obesity and non-communicable diseases plaguing our country. The draft regulations is a good beginning, but it has major gaps that need to be plugged to make it effective,” said Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general, CSE.
‘Significant gaps’
One of the significant gaps that CSE has pointed out is that the draft regulations does not provide for labelling of crucial aspects like added sugar and dietary fibres.
“Public health and nutrition experts recommend that it is best to avoid added sugar in food items. It can be measured and controlled and therefore must be labelled. Also, dietary fibre is a key beneficial component of our diet and must also be labelled. This will help consumers make informed and healthy food choices,” said Amit Khurana, programme director (food safety and toxins unit), CSE.
The draft regulations state that HFSS (high in fat, sugar or salt) food items shall not be advertised to kids in any form. The CSE, however, said that this is not enough.
“Celebrities should not be allowed to endorse these food item and there should be no ads of certain food categories such as soft drinks. Broadcasting regulations should be developed to limit exposure of kids to food ads during TV prime-time,” said Sonam Taneja, programme manager (food safety and toxins unit), CSE.
The draft regulations emphasise on providing nutrition information for each serving of a food item. It also lays down rules that consumers should be made aware of the contribution of each serving to one’s daily quota of salt, sugar or fat.
However, it does not standardise serving sizes. “Determination of serving sizes has been left to the industry, this is a big loophole. We have seen that the food industry often claims very small serving sizes, which are far from reality, and manipulates food labels. Serving sizes must be set by the FSSAI, based on how much is customarily consumed by people in the context of India,” said Mr. Bhushan.
Get free insects on your plate when you order food in Telangana
Thanks to local politicians, vendors continue to violate hygiene norms; shortage of food inspectors a hindrance
A view of vendors serving food in unhygienic conditions in Karimnagar and Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: Hyderabadis are not new to hidden surprises in food ordered from their favourite roadside eateries or even posh high-scale restaurants. Foodies, playing a treasure hunt on their plates, have spotted dead insects, cockroaches, house flies and even rats over the years. While some cases are brought to light, thereby alerting other patrons about the ‘extra hidden nutrition’ they are served, others choose to keep mum.
Even recently, a high-scale sandwich shop in Punjagutta —a global brand that advises people to eat fresh—was found serving fresh and live cockroaches marinated in their cool drinks and meatball whoppers. The situation is no different, rather worse, at unlicensed roadside eateries and tiffin centres. Though many patrons of these hole-in-the-wall eateries proudly claim taste is inversely proportional to hygiene, a glance inside the cooking area is enough to shock the strongest hearts.
Common patrons of the roadside food, apart from homo sapiens that is, are ants, cockroaches, rats and bandicoots. Unlike us beings, these little ones tend to fall inside the cooking utensils, food or serving plates while devouring their meal. Eatery owners, cooks or workers —who are not new to these uninvited guests —often remove them and serve the food. On an off chance, they land in the plates or mouths of patrons.
Now there are countless eateries dotting the city, and GHMC officials are racking their brains wondering how they can monitor all of them. “Many establishments go unchecked as we are pressed with other key issues, including sanitation, issuing of birth and death certificates, and other administration works,” says a GHMC official.
Call up GHMC to file complaint
If citizens find the food they are served is unhygienic, they can file a complaint at GHMC call centre by dialling on 040-21111111. Citizens can also complain of violations like non-supply of clean water, stale food, use of banned plastic covers to the civic body.
Warangal
Plates are never sterilised
Though Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation(GWMC) health wing officials claim that they conduct inspections on a regular basis and impose fine on those serving stale foods, the ground reality is different. Most of the kitchens of small restaurants and tiffin centres are poorly maintained, the water used to clean plates and dishes are of poor quality. Many eateries are run in unhygienic conditions. A large number of them do not sterilise serving plates and glasses. Meanwhile, GWMC health officer Dr Raja Reddy claimed that the corporation has been conducting inspections regularly and imposing fines on erring establishments.
Mahbubnagar
No full-time food inspector
Despite vendors flouting food standards regularly, Mahbubnagar authorities have not been able to take any action against them. Reason: the district doesn’t have full-time food inspector. The undivided Mahbubnagar district includes Mahbubnagar, Wanaparthy , Nagarkurnool and Jogulamba Gadwal municipalities. Most of commercial establishments in the districts have been using sub-standard pulses and grains to prepare the food. Consumers, who shell out a huge amount of money at these food joints, often do fall ill. When Express brought the issue to the notice of Mahbubnagar municipal commissioner Surender shrugged away the blame saying that it was not his responsibility.
Are authorities doing enough?
Authorities claim that as they receive complaints, the corporation ensures that Assistant Medical Officer of Health (AMOHs) and food inspectors swing into action, inspect the place and slap fines on owners under relevant acts if necessary. However, as the officials charge paltry amounts as fines, it doesn’t serve as a strong deterrent for the violators.
According to rules, hotels and restaurants should procure food licenses under Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act. However, many hotels and restaurants operate without licenses in the city. Express found that many of them are strongly influenced by local political leaders and corporators who ensure the violators are never brought to the books.
Khammam
Vendors bribe authorities
Although hundreds of tiffin centres have been set up in Khammam, lack of monitoring in these centres have led to a dip in its quality and thus, inviting diseases. These tiffin centres, most of which do not have any permission from Municipal authorities, often serve food with insects. In fact, on Wednesday a person found a cockroach in a veg biryani platter at a food court on Wyra Road in the town. When the customer asked hotel management, they allegedly tried attacking him. One, K Madhav, an employee at a private firm alleged that the handlers of the tiffin centres bribed municipal officials to not check the quality of the food.
Sangareddy
Hotels serve rotten meat
Lack of monitoring by municipal sanitation inspector and food safety officials give hoteliers a leeway to flout food standards on a daily basis. Hotels in Sangareddy, Siddipet, Medak, Ramayampet, Gajwel, Zahirabad, Patancheru, RC Puram and other towns in united the Medak districts do not maintain minimum cleanliness. Hotels don’t use quality vegetables and store meat for weeks in cold storage. Locals allege that hotels have been serving rotten meat to customers. Meanwhile, officials cite shortage of staff as one of the key reasons for not conducting regular checks. There are only nine food safety inspectors for 31 districts in the State.
Karimnagar
Shortage of staff looms large
Bonagiri Srinivas, an employee of DRDA, went to a hotel opposite police headquarters in the district. When Srinivas ordered a vegetable biryani, hotel management served a foul-smelling leftover soup. A miffed Srinivas tried calling a food inspector to complain regarding the issue. It was then that he learnt that there was no food inspector available in the erstwhile Karimnagar district. In fact, he also learnt that the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar does not have a special wing to cheque hygiene levels of hotels and restaurants. Rajendrantha, the Food Inspector of Warangal district, serves as the in-charge food inspector for the erstwhile Karimnagar.
Effective labels for food items recommended
The draft laws state high in fat, sugar or salt food products “shall not be advertised to kids in any form”, the CSE said.
New Delhi: A Delhi-based green body on Wednesday said it has submitted recommendations to FSSAI on the draft regulations on labelling released by the food regulator, urging it to make the norms “effective and stringent”.
In April, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) issued a draft of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018 and sought comments from stakeholders.
The Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in a statement said that the draft has “major gaps” and called for making it “effective and stringent”. The CSE said it has submitted recommendations to FSSAI to “ensure a labelling framework in the country”.
CSE deputy director general C. Bhushan said: “A strict labelling law is important to combat obesity and non-communicable diseases plaguing our country. Though this draft directives are a good beginning, it has major gaps that need to be plugged to make it effective.” One of the “gaps” the CSE said the draft “dosen’t provide for labelling of crucial aspects such as added sugar and dietary fibres”.
CSE programme director (food, safety and toxins) A. Khurana said: “Health and nutrition experts recommend it is best to avoid added sugar in food items. It can be measured and controlled and hence must be labelled. Also, dietary fibre is a key beneficial component of our diet and must be labelled. This will help consumers make informed and healthy food choices.”
The draft laws state high in fat, sugar or salt food products “shall not be advertised to kids in any form”, the CSE said. CSE programme manager S. Taneja said: “Kids are consumers of HFSS items. With many kids becoming obese, the FSSAI must adopt to regulate ads of HFSS foods.”
Jun 13, 2018
2 in dock for illegal sale of ice-cream
Chandigarh: The Chandigarh district court made two persons stand till rising of the court and imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 each on them for preparing and selling ice-cream without a valid license.
The court of the chief judicial magistrate convicted the two persons, Bhupinder Sharma and Mehta Ram Sharma, who were challaned by the food inspector.
On April 7, 2017 food safety officer Bhaljinder Singh inspected the premises of Satnam Ice Cream at Manimajra, Chandigarh, where Bhupinder Sharma was preparing and selling ice cream on behalf of Mehta Ram Sharma, without a food license for human consumption and public sale. The officer prepared the spot memo and challaned the accused for selling food articles for human consumption without a food license under Section 26 (2) (iii) and 31(1) of the Food Safety & Standards Act 2006, punishable under Section 63 of the Act.
The defence argued that the duo had been implicated and no sample was taken at the time of inspection.
However, the prosecution said there was no requirement to take a sample of the food articles as the rules had been violated right at the outset of the venture.
After hearing the arguments, the court convicted both and made them stand till rising of the court.
Food safety officials collect samples to check adulteration
The team was comprised of Manoj Khosla, Assistant Commissioner, Food Safety, Nawanshahr, and Sangeeta Sehdev, food safety officer. Amit Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, said the Food Safety Department has been directed to hold special campaign to implement Food Safety and Standards Act in the district to check adulteration in food products and artificial ripening of fruits.
Food safety officials on Monday told the residents about rampant artificial ripening of fruits. ARTIFICIAL RIPENING OF FRUITS
Consumption of artificially-ripened fruits can cause mouth ulcers, gastric ulcers, nervous breakdown and cancer. To ensure the supply of quality fruits to the public, a special drive has been initiated to check the quality of fruits on the directions of the state government.
Jun 12, 2018
‘85 per cent adulteration in loose edible oil’
Research by Consumer Voice, one of the leading consumer organisations in India, has confirmed adulteration up to 85 per cent in loose edible oil sold across 15 states in India.
KOCHI: Research by Consumer Voice, one of the leading consumer organisations in India, has confirmed adulteration up to 85 per cent in loose edible oil sold across 15 states in India. The study further revealed that the adulteration was found in eight major varieties namely mustard, sesame, coconut, sunflower, palmolein, soybean, groundnut and cottonseed oil.
The study highlighted that in the samples tested coconut oil was the most adulterated with 85 per cent adulteration. Results of tests done on cottonseed oil, sesame oil, mustard oil were no better with 74.07 per cent, 74 per cent and 71.77 per cent adulteration found respectively, a press release said quoting the study.
The laboratory tests were conducted by Consumer Voice, a voluntary consumer organization which works in the interest of consumer education and advocating consumer rights, at National Accreditation Board of Testing and Calibration Laboratories. With the sample size of 1,015, the loose edible oils for the research was taken from 15 prime Indian states, including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala to name a few. The oils were tested on the grounds of both quality and safety parameters, standards established by FSSAI.
Not only do adulterated oils cause allergies and increase cholesterol, but they are also known to be a cause of deadly diseases such as cancer, paralysis, liver damage and cardiac arrest. Even the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales Regulations 2011), has banned the selling, buying and distribution of edible oil in the loose form, yet in the country it is being bought and sold.
Commenting on the research Ashim Sanyal, chief operating officer of the Consumer Voice, said, “The tests were conducted as an initiative to educate the consumers and make them conscious of the adulteration present in the loose oil currently available in the market. As for the government, it is our sincere appeal to take immediate contingency measures to stop the sales of loose edible oil, and punish the offenders.”
FSDA to keep check on ‘adulteration’ of food items
As temperatures in Meerut continue to rise and shelf life of food decreases in this summer season, the Food Safety and Drugs Administration (FSDA) will be conducting drives to check adulteration of food. It should be noted that shelf life of food decreases during summers, locals tend to fall prey to poor quality of food and then fall ill.
“We are set to conduct an anti-adulteration drive in the district wherein we will take suspected food samples and send them for checking in our Lucknow laboratory. As the city’s temperatures are on a rise, chances of spoiled food being sold increase,” said Archana Dheeran, designated officer of FSDA, Meerut unit.
Customers can file complaints related to food adulteration with the department, also on condition of anonymity, said FSDA authorities.
Also, if any city resident is apprehensive about a certain food item, he or she can send it for testing to the food department personally and if the sample is found adulterated, a complaint can be filed immediately. The sample may be submitted by depositing Rs 1,000 and if found adulterated, a complaint can be filed with FSDA officials, who will take further action on it.
“A team of officials has been made, which will conduct anti-adulteration drive in the district,” said Dheeran.
'Clean' street food hubs to come up in state
As part of food security measures, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is planning to permit 'Clean' street food hubs, under food security regulations, at strategic public spots in towns and cities including Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur.
“The hubs will be set at Juhu and Goregaon in Mumbai, at Sarasbaug in Pune and at Phutala Talao in Nagpur,” Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Protection, FDA, Girish Bapat said on the occasion of 'World Food Security Day'. Besides this, two food testing labs will be procured at a cost of Rs 10 crore each.
He said that road-side eateries will also be brought under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and awareness will be created among vendors to ensure that they take all precautions, including selection of hygienic ingredients to prepare the food articles. Most of the states have already began spreading the message of 'health food'. Similarly, Maharashtra too will now spread this message across the state, including its villages.
As per the agreement between Maharashtra FDA and Coca-Cola, nearly 1,200 street-food vendors in Pune were recently given training on the aspect of safe and nutritious food, enabling them to improve the quality of their offering. This initiative was a part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed by the Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Coca-Cola to train 50,000 street food vendors across India over the next three years under the 'Clean Street Food' project.
As part of this initiative, Coca-Cola India is closely working with the FDA in upgrading the eating out experience for the local populace. While Coca-Cola India is responsible for the program execution through its network of trainers, the FDA will ensure the relevance of the training content and shall oversee the overall delivery.
Also, machinery for fortification of food, including milk, maida, salt, vitamins, etc. will be set up in the state, Bapat said, adding, “Food fortification or enrichment is the process of adding micro-nutrients to food. Although generally it is a purely commercial choice to provide extra nutrients in a food, basically it is a public health policy which aims to reduce the number of people with dietary deficiencies.”
Meanwhile, the FDA has begun a drive to register and issue licenses to vendors. They include fruit, vegetable, coconut water vendor, egg, chicken, meat and fish sellers, pani-puri seller, soda, wine and beer shops, canteens in school, colleges and other public places, hotels, and restaurants, to name a few. So far, over 1 lakh local market shopkeepers and vendors have a food safety registration or license.
Food sellers who have a turnover of more than Rs 12 lakh need to compulsorily have a food license. If the turnover is less than Rs 12 lakh, they need to register with the FDA. As per the Section 31 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, if the food vendor does not register, he can be punished for six months in jail, with a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh. Manufacturers and distributors too are supposed to sell food products only to those who have a registration or license. If they sell food products to vendors who are not registered, they can be fined up to Rs 2 lakh.
FDA Joint Commissioner (Food), Shailesh Adhav, said, “Notices have been served to vendors and shopkeepers. They will be given some time. If they fail to have a license even after that, we will take strict action against the erring vendors.”
Jun 11, 2018
10 tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes seized in Dindigul
Madurai: Food safety officials from Dindigul district seized 10 tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes and destroyed them. The mangoes worth Rs 5 lakh were found during the raids conducted at various godowns around Palani.
The surprise raid was conducted late on Saturday night at Ayakudi village and its surroundings, based on a complaint. Officials said that at least eight godowns were found to ripen mangoes using carbide stones and spraying chemicals.
The raid was conducted by a team lead by the designated officer for food safety, Dindigul district, Natarajan. The official also warned other traders in the locality with severe action, if they continue this illegal practice. The officials said that mangoes are produced in a large-scale in and around Palani and the variety of mangoes grown here are sent to various cities.
Officials said that common symptoms of artificially ripened mangoes were stomach upset, ulcer and vomiting. Those who are allergic to chemicals may get skin problems like rashes and itching. They also warned that in rare cases, it can also cause cancer. They advised public to be careful while choosing mangoes. One can identify an artificially ripened mango once it is sliced. When the outer surface is ripened well compared to the inner part, it is an indication of artificial ripening, they said.
No, khaini not on ban wagon in Bihar
Bihar Health Minister Mangal Pandey on Sunday clarified that they have not written any letter to the Center to facilitate introducing a ban on khaini, consumption of which causes a number of serious ailments.
Pandey said they are against the consumption of gutkha and khaini, found to be the major causes of mouth cancer, but have not asked the Centre for its prohibition.
The Health Minister further appealed to the people of the state to stop the consumption of gutkha and khaini.
According to a recent media report, the state government wrote to the Union Health Ministry, urging it to notify khaini as a food product. Upon notification, the state government can ban the product on health grounds.
According to Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act, any food product which has the presence of tobacco and nicotine in it, has to be banned.
Two years earlier, the Bihar government had banned the sale and consumption of liquor in the state.
Jun 10, 2018
Mangoes, bananas seized
The Food Safety Department officials seized 2.75 tonnes of mangoes and bananas, which were ripened artificially, from different shops in Salem city on Saturday.
Tip-off
On a tip-off, a team of officials led by S. Mariappan, Designated Officer of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, conducted surprise check in the fruit godowns before the break of dawn in the city.
The officials spotted that artificial methods like using prohibited acetylene gas, commonly known as carbide gas, for ripening the fruits was detected in all the cases.
The officials seized one tonne of mangoes and 1.75 tonnes of plantains from the godowns belonging to three traders.
Cases were registered against all the three persons.
85 per cent loose edible oil sold across country adulterated, finds study
As much as 85 per cent of the edible oil sold in loose across the country is adulterated, revealed a study conducted recently. Nutritionists warn that this would lead to the formation of toxins in the body called free radicals, which in turn are responsible for most of the lifestyle and chronic diseases.
Many among the public continue to buy edible oil in loose, despite the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) banning its sale, purchase and distribution of edible oils in that form.
“Not only do adulterated oils cause allergies and increase cholesterol levels, they are also known to be responsible for diseases such as cancer, paralysis, liver damage and cardiac arrest. The FSSAI, under the Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales Regulations, 2011, had banned selling, buying and distribution of edible oil in the loose form,” said Dr Niti Desai, a dietician and nutritionist.
According to the study conducted by the organisation Consumer Voice, adulteration was found in eight major varieties. The agency highlighted that in the samples tested, coconut oil was the most adulterated with 85 per cent adulteration.
For the study, 1,015 loose edible oil samples were collected from 15 states, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra. The oils were tested for quality and safety parameters, according to the standards established by FSSAI.
Experts warned that with the menace of adulteration spreading fast posing threats to the health and well-being of the citizens, it was important for the authorities to take stricter action to stop the sale of loose edible oil. A city-based nutritionist added that it was important that the public remained vigilant about the quality of food and food materials they consumed.
Officials keep an eye on mangoes
Testing time: Food Safety Officer I. Dhanaraju, along with his colleagues, inspects mangoes at a shop near Goubert Market at J.N. Street in Puducherry; seized mangoes loaded in a vehicle.
500 kg of artificially ripened fruit seized from a godown at Bharathi Street in a recent raid
With juicy mangoes flooding the market, Food Safety department officials reckon that the time is ripe for carrying out checks on the quality of the popular fruit.
Recently, a team of officials headed by the Food Safety officer I. Dhanraju seized 500 kg of artificially ripened mangoes from a godown inside a shop at Bharathi Street.
Mr. Dhanraju said that they had conducted raids in 17 shops at Nehru Street and three shops at Bharathi Street as a part of the seasonal routine work. During the raid, the officials found that mangoes were ripened using calcium carbide, a chemical substance. On searching a godown, four packets of sachets, each weighing 25 gm were concealed in seven trays of mangoes.
The traders purchase mangoes from Marakkanam, Vennangupattu, Kottikadu and other dealers from Tamil Nadu in bulk and use chemicals to boost up the sales during the peak season. “The mangoes will be destroyed and the shopkeeper will charged under rule 44AA of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act where artificial ripening agents are not permitted,” said the officer.
Such tactics had been around at least for over a decade, but over the last four years there was a decline in the usage of calcium carbide thanks to frequent department raids. The periodic raids had been a major deterrent to traders resorting to unfair practices which were also a health hazard to consumers, an official said.
Besides, these days awareness among consumers about the harmful effects of consuming artificially ripened fruits has also improved, officials said.
Nitish targets ‘khaini’, mulls ban on chewable tobacco
Consumption of khaini, a processed tobacco product has been found to be one of the major causes of oral cancer in Bihar,
Two years after the ban on liquor, the Bihar government has planned to ban the sale and consumption of khaini (a processed tobacco product) in the State.
The government has written to the Union Health Ministry to notify khaini as a food product.
Consumption of khaini has been found to be one of the major causes of oral cancer in Bihar.
Speaking to media persons, Health Secretary Sanjay Kumar said khaini was pure tobacco and if the Central government approved the recommendation by the State government, “it will be regulated under the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).”
Widespread addiction
The NGO Socio-Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS), too, is said to have written to the Union Health Ministry to include khaini as a food product under the FSSAI.
According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey-II, 2016-17, altogether 25.9% of Bihar’s population use tobacco in different forms and 20.4% of them are addicted to khaini.
On May 21, the Bihar government banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of gutkha and pan masala (with tobacco and nicotine) for a year.
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?
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