New regulations for ‘used cooking oil’ come into effect

State Food Safety Commissioners have been advised to focus on awareness and education programmes, surveillance and enforcement activities for the new set of regulations 

FSSAI in talks with industry to convert used-cooking oil into bio-diesel

NEW DELHI, JULY 2

With the new regulations for monitoring “used cooking oils” coming into force from July 1, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Monday said the implementation of these regulations will require focus on consumer education, enforcement as well as creation of an eco-system for collection of “used cooking oil” to produce biodiesel.

FSSAI said it is in discussion with the Indian Biodiesel Association to establish a nation-wide eco-system for collection of used cooking oil and its conversion to bio-diesel.

The new regulations have set the maximum permissible limit of Total Polar Compound (TPC) in edible oil at 25 per cent. Repeated frying and usage of edible oil changes its physiochemical and nutrition properties and leads to the formation of TPC, which makes it unfit for human consumption.

“From July 1, onwards, all Food Business Operators (FBOs) would be required to monitor the quality of oil during frying by complying with the said regulations,” FSSAI said in a statement. The Food Authority has also established testing protocols for Total Polar Compounds.

Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, said effective implementation of used cooking oil standards require “Triple E strategy” and a co-ordinated effort.

“First ‘E’ in the ‘Triple E Strategy’ is ‘Education’ that is educating both the consumers and food businesses about public health consequences of spoiled ‘used cooking oil’. Second ‘E’ is ‘Enforcement’, particularly amongst large food processing plants, restaurants and fast-food joints that are frying food in large quantities; and the third ‘E’ is developing an ‘Ecosystem’ for collection of used cooking oil and producing biodiesel from it ”, he added.

FSSAI has also advised State Food Safety Commissioners to focus on awareness and education programmes, surveillance and enforcement activities for these new set of regulations. “Annually, about 23-million tonne cooking oil is consumed in India. There is potential to recover and use about 3 million tonnes of this for production of bio-diesel,” FSSAI added.

As of now, used cooking oil is either not discarded or disposed in an environmentally hazardous manner and sometimes even finds it way to smaller restaurants, dhaabas and street-vendors.

After farmer protests, FSSAI agrees to revisit Organic Food regulations

Country’s top food regulator— Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) -- is considering watering down its regulations on organic food that kicked in from July 1 this year, after farmers’ protests.

Several organic farmer groups protested against the new regulations— especially asking for organic certification, and met Pawan Agarwal, FSSAI chief executive officer (CEO) in Delhi.

The regulator, which had held extensive consultations with various stakeholders for drafting regulations, didn’t seem to have factored in details such as lack of adequate certification agents, technical glitches while handling websites etc., necessary for successful implementation.

India is among top five countries in the world in terms of agricultural production.

According to the World of Organic Agriculture- 2014 report, 0.28% of India’s agricultural land is for organic agriculture. India’s organic production in 2013-2014 was 1.24 million tons.

“We are having a dialogue with organic farmers’ community and FSSAI is willing to relook at the points of contention and how implementation can become smoother,” said Agarwal.

“Even though we had created an implementation committee and given them six months to comply, there still seem to be certain issues that have cropped up and need attention, especially the certification process.”

The organic certification is issued by testing centres accredited by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) under National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP), which was primarily meant for big organic farmers.

Also, the Participatory Guarantee System for India (PGS-India), is a decentralised system where a cluster of farmers is trained in organic farming in villages to monitor and certify farms.

By August 2014, India had a mere 24 accredited agencies for inspection and certification of 0.5 million hectare organic farms.

“It is not feasible for farmers as it is not affordable, and even accessible. It takes a lot of money to get an NPOP certificate issued in the first year and then one needs to keep renewing each year. For exporters it makes sense to shell out huge sums of money but for us, who cater to domestic market, it’s not cost-effective,” said Vishalakshi Padmanabham, an organic farmer from Bengaluru, Karnataka.

“PGS-India certification system is a cumbersome process. Also, it takes a minimum of three of years to get the certificate for lack of enough certification agents; what do we do during the transition phase,” he added.

Agarwal said: “What challenges crop up at the implementation level is something one can’t know at the level of drafting regulations. We try to modify regulations to remove impediments as we go along. Our aim is not to unnecessary harass anyone but to ensure consumers get safe and authentic food.”

Licence to swill: 250 Chennai bars have no permit

CHENNAI: Here’s proof that the appetizers served in Chennai’s liquor outlets could be just as unhygienic as the ‘bars’ they’re attached to are squalid.

Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corpn Ltd allows shady attachments to 250 of its 262 shops in the city — mostly small, grubby rooms or shacks equipped with makeshift tables and stools that pass off as bars — to operate without a mandatory Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence.

Food safety department officials confirmed that only 12 bars in Chennai have valid FSSAI licences. Employee union chiefs charge the state-run retail liquor monopoly with diluting conditions in its tenders to favour individuals looking to open these money-spinning bars.

“We usually refuse to issue licences to Tasmac bars because they don’t adhere to food safety norms,” a food safety official told TOI. “This includes a ban on cooking on the premises.”

Establishments that sell food and post an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh annually must obtain licences from FSSAI. The food and standards regulator issues bars licences under the ‘food vending establishment’ category.

“The turnover of these bars is not less than Rs 12 lakh a year,” the official said. In the past year, complaints led to action against only four bars.

Tasmac made the FSSAI licence one of the 12 conditions to take part in bidding for bars.

Other conditions include GST ID number, structural stability of the building and no objection certificate from the landlord.

But Tamil Nadu Tasmac Employees Union president N Periyasamy alleged that 1,500 Tasmac outlets across the state have illegal bars.

“No bar follows the rule that it can only sell eatables prepared outside,” he said. “In fact, they commit all sorts of violations. The government should shut down all of them.” Tasmac’s income from bars dropped 50% after the Supreme Court order banning liquor vends within 500m of highways. It generated Rs 200 crore from bars in 2017-18, down from Rs 440 crore in the previous fiscal.

A Tasmac official said bar operators have applied for FSSAI licences. “The food safety department has asked them for a list of eatables they sell,” he said. “That caused considerable delay in obtaining licences.”

Stale chicken, expired soft drinks seized in Pudukkottai

Close to 100kg of rotten chicken was seized by the food safety department officials from 20 restaurants including some of the popular restaurant chains in Pudukkottai on Tuesday. Besides the rotten meat, over 50 litres of soft drinks well beyond the expiry date was seized from a bar.

The team also took samples of colouring agent from a restaurant after suspecting it to contain carcinogens.

All the shops were served notice directing them to improve the quality of food served. Officials said that further action would be taken based on a follow-up inspection in a few days. The decayed meat and expired soft drinks were destroyed by the food safety officials.

“So far we have been focusing on licensing and registration of shops and eateries. The focus has now shifted to quality of food items being served to the public,” said R Ramesh Babu, designated officer from food safety department for Pudukkottai.

“We found mostly frozen chicken that was decayed. There was no bills available on the purchase of the meat. We could identify the decayed meat by observing the change in colour of its upper layer,” he said.

Asked on the rotten meat being kept in the restaurant, Ramesh said that such restaurants do not have dedicated workers to check the quality of the meat and raw materials.

“There are 30 restaurant in Pudukottai apart from 100 small hotels. Inspection would be carried out in a phased manner in other restaurants in the coming days,” said officials.

City traders sell expired food products despite warnings

Visakhapatnam: Practice of selling food products and other consumable goods without mentioning the manufacturing date and expiry period remains unchecked in the city.

According to the Section 27 III (B) of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, a trader is not supposed to sell any consumable product after its expiry date ends. But, many traders in the city seems to have been violating the Act.

As per the rules of Packaged Commodities (Regulation) Order, sale of packaged commodities without details such as date of manufacturing, maximum retail price, producer's name and address shall have to be banned from sale.

Despite a series of warnings and cases as per the Act filed by the enforcement agencies like Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA), Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC), the illegal practice by some traders is continuing at areas like Madhurawada, Peda Waltair, Kancharapalem, Gajuwaka, Poorna Market and MVP Colony among others.

Many innocent people, particularly those living in the slums and the customers of super markets get cheated from the traders in the guise of attractive discounts and offers.

A consumer P Radhika from Peda Waltair said “She was also once cheated by a super market two weeks ago. I sent my kids to fruit drinks. The super market people sold expired drinks to my kids by giving nearly 40% discount on the MRP.”

“Of course, I had returned the goods, but what about the plight of people who do not aware of all these rules?” Radhika questions.

Recently on June 30 at 1 pm at Kancharapalem, NA Reddy, a citizen and representative of We Care U Welfare Society, found a group of youth selling caskets of soft drinks without proper manufacturing information and expiry date by offering a huge discount.

Reddy, who had even posted the illegal practice at the social media platforms like Facebook to bring awareness among the people, said “I found the sale of soft drink bottles on the road and many people purchased due to its discount. When checked, many drink bottles do not have proper product information. I lodged a complaint with nearby Kancharapalem police station too.” Speaking to TOI, food inspector of food safety department of GVMC, M Koteswara Rao, said that they have filed cases against soft-drink traders.

Rao said that they registered nearly six such cases against the traders who cheat people by selling the foods without expiry dates recently. According to Rao, drinks like mango juice, soft-drinks, biscuits and wheat flour among other food packets were sold by the traders at areas like Madhurada, Peda Waltair, Kancharapalem and Poorna Market according to their records and previous cases.

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Ready-to-eat foods are in demand

Due to changing lifestyles, the fad for heat-and-eat food items is catching on in the state despite concerns about quality and hygiene. 

KOCHI: After packaged dosa and idli batter conquering the kitchens of Kerala, now it’s the turn of chappati and puri to make waves with small time entrepreneurs establishing mechanised units to make them, earning a profit close to Rs 6,000 a day. Industry experts say the cumbersome dough kneading process to prepare chappati has in fact fuelled the ready-to-cook chappati business in the state. The rapid mushrooming of small businesses to fill the rising demand has resulted in a manifold growth in this sector over the past few years, giving a stiff challenge to traditional large packaged food companies. 

Take for example, Chappathi Point at Gandhinagar, holding the distinction of being one of the first mechanised chappati-making units in Kochi which kick-started its operations in 2014. With 15 exclusive outlets in the city, it sells more than 15,000 chappatis a day in Kochi. Such has been the rate of growth of this business in Kerala that they have opened manufacturing units and distribution centres in cities like Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode. “Our total sales vary between 25,000 and 30,000 chappatis per day in Kerala,” said Anoop Chandran, proprietor of Chappathi Point. 

The fast-paced lifestyle has resulted in people not wasting time on routine activities like cooking, making them turn to reliable packaged foods items,” said Chandran. He added the concept of opening their own distribution chain in the city has helped them retain a loyal set of customers who have come to trust the brand. Another unit Aaji’s Chappathi on Kaloor-Kadavantara Road in the city is the story of a young entrepreneur named Vishnu T Jairaj who ventured out in 2016. According to Vishnu, the demand is rising, but so is the supply with multiple units catering to the same coming up in the recent years. 

He stressed the importance of standing out to make a difference. “As pre-cooked chappati has four ingredients - atta, water, salt and oil - we experimented heavily to get the right mix to make the tastiest chappatis. The usage of Sharbati atta sourced from Gujarat, which is considered best for chappatis, rice bran oil and the general avoidance of preservatives ensures our brand gradually becomes popular,” said Vishnu. Aaji’s also sells home-made dishes in the evening that go along with the chappatis and plans to make it a dine-in soon. 

A sneak peek into the economics of these businesses reveals an initial investment of around R20 lakh to set up a pre-cooked processing plant. These highly mechanised units with just four employees can produce more than 5,000 chappatis or puris in a day. Most manufacturers sell a packet of 10 chappatis for R45-50, with their cost of manufacturing a packet standing anywhere in the range of R25-30. The healthy profit margin is a major attraction for many to set up a unit. Apart from individual customers, these units source orders mainly from hotels, retail stores, canteens and housing societies. 

Kudumbasree estimates a total of 963 food processing centres run under its umbrella alone in the state. Small-scale industries catering to this segment which mainly provide employment opportunities to women receive various subsidies under different state and Central Government schemes. 

The issue of food additives 

Food adulteration is the talk of the town with state officials seizing large swathes of contaminated fish at various checkpoints across Kerala. What we fail to understand is preservatives are used in almost all food products to extend its shelf life. Claiming to be a victim of the excessive use of chemicals in pre-cooked chappatis, Noushad Saffron has started his brand of preservative-free products named Bread Basket in Kochi. 

Saffron claims he consumed these contaminated chapattis regularly for little under a year, which caused damage to the liver, leading to partial cirrhosis. “Most of the manufacturers add things like sodium benzoate, glycerine and vanaspati that cause long-term damages to your body,” said Saffron. To ensure healthy products, Bread Basket claims to only make use of clinically-tested atta free of any additives sourced from Rajasthan, rice bran oil and UV filtered water. He said the unit and employees use all preventative measures to avoid contamination and use food grade reusable plastics for packaging.

Business establishments like Aaji’s and Chappathi Point say smaller units tend to mostly sell their items produced on the same day, so the need to add preservatives does not exist. Small businesses report a strict need-to-basis production. Any unsold inventory at the end of the day is generally sourced by local hotels and canteens at a discounted price. A fairly well-established packaged food venture in the city said when there are orders which require a shelf life of 3-4 days, lower than permissible levels of ascorbic acid are added. Ascorbic acid is allowed by the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India to be added to food products to extend its shelf life. 

When quality matters

Kochi: Of late, there has been an increase in the number of shops and food units selling half-cooked chappati, porotta, puri and pathiri. Though these ready-to-cook products are proving to be a big hit, many have expressed apprehensions over quality. Many consumers have raised doubts about the quality of the raw materials being used, hygiene of the production units and whether these businesses are registered. As per the FSSAI regulations, no person shall commence any food business unless he possesses a valid licence.

According to district food safety officer K V Shibu, every food processing unit has to register with the Food Safety Department. “Officials from the department will conduct a thorough inspection of the unit before issuing a licence,” he said. Also, frequent inspections are carried out to ascertain whether these units are following the FSSAI guidelines. “Samples are collected from food processing units at regular intervals and tested for contaminants, toxins, presence of banned preservatives and chemicals,” he said. If any unit is found not adhering to regulations strict action like cancellation of licence is taken, he added.

Trouble in Paradise

India’s food safety regulator is getting stricter about who gets to retail food labeled organic. Small farmers are upset

Sujatha Rajeswaran made the kind of career shift those stuck in the corporate rat race tend to wistfully talk about, around the office water cooler. Eight years ago, she and her husband quit their IT jobs in Chennai and began farming on a three-acre plot near Puducherry, where they grow paddy, millets, pulses and sesame free of chemicals and pesticides. The switch meant losing a steady monthly income but Rajeswaran says they enjoy other luxuries, such as eating fruit plucked fresh from the garden. Some of the crops they grow, such as traditional varieties of rice, are sold directly to customers, while others are sold to a few retail outlets in Puducherry.

By the time you read this, though, Rajeswaran would no longer be able to sell her produce to retail stores under the organic label. A new rule framed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which kicks in on July 1, bans the retail sale of food labelled as organic unless it has been certified according to one of two processes. “I don’t know what will happen,” says Rajeswaran, who chose to sell by building trust with the stores over getting her products certified.

So far, certification was compulsory only for export. Farmers who wanted to export organic produce had to opt for third-party certification by one of 28 agencies recognised under the National Programme for Organic Production (NPOP) guidelines. Those selling at home could either get NPOP certification or choose the cheaper Participatory Guarantee System-India (PGS), under which farmers form a collective and vouch for the others’ produce. But neither was compulsory for domestic sales.

“It was a free-for-all situation where anyone could call anything organic and get away with it,” says FSSAI CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal. “We are trying to create a clearer system.” The new rule will empower food safety officers to test samples from the market and prosecute transgressors.

A 2016 Yes Bank white paper on the organic market in India estimates the organised market to be ₹250-300 crore and the “uncertified, unmonitored” one to be ₹300-500 crore. On an average, organic produce sells at a 30% premium. At online retailer Big Basket, for example, a kilo of organic carrot costs ₹100 while local carrot is ₹80.

But small farmers argue the two certification options are either expensive, cumbersome or both and doesn’t always guarantee quality. The samples in a 2014 study by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute had found pesticide residues above permissible levels, though the samples had been certified by third-party agencies. Erode-based Ramaswamy Selvam, who started organic farming in 1996, says certification under NPOP would cost him ₹15,000-₹50,000, while the PGS system is cumbersome and time-consuming. For example, the fee structure of Bureau Veritas, an NPOP-recognised agency, includes ₹15,000 per man day for organic certification for one farmer, ₹7,000 as certificate fees and ₹2,000 for a transaction certificate, apart from expenses for lab analysis, travel and accommodation. A certification is typically valid for three years and renewals cost less.

Under PGS, which is supposed to be free, a farmer has to form a collective with at least four other organic farmers. “We would have to visit the others’ farms twice in one cropping season, which is not easy if the farms are not nearby. I see the new rules as a kind of punishment to me for having turned organic,” says Selvam, who has circulated an online petition demanding the rules be withdrawn.

Vishalakshi Padmanabhan, founder of farmer collective Buffalo Back, says they are trying to help the 35% of their farmers who have not yet been certified under the procedure. “But it is not easy.” Others, like NCR-based iOrganic, which sells 3,000 litres of milk a day, have been able to sidestep the rule by having organic only in the brand name. “We have not called our milk organic anywhere, we only say it is farm-fresh,” says founder Aditya Sinhal.

Kavitha Kuruganti, a former member of the government task force on organic and non-chemical farming, warns that the new rules will keep a whole set of farmers out of the organic market. “It will become an elite market dominated by big brands serving wealthy customers.”

FSSAI’s Agarwal argues that a clause exempts a “small original producer or producer organisation” directly selling to the consumer from certification. But Selvam asks why the exception for direct sales should be restricted to “small farmers”, a term that has not even been clearly defined.

For now, the non-certified farmers are hopeful of getting some leeway and the FSSAI says it is willing to listen. For starters, a small farmer is likely to be defined as one earning less than ₹12 lakh annually. “We might also extend the July 1 deadline. The regulations are final but in the course of implementation, if we face any difficulty, we are open to renewing these,” adds Agarwal.

Dairy firm iOrganics says the FSSAI rule does not affect it as it does not say its milk is organic, only farm fresh

MENACE OF FOOD ADULTERATION

India's consumer-driven economy has unleashed a large number of brands in the country. These brands meet top quality standards and requirements that are laid out by national food regulator, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Normally, such brands carry a higher price as they have to deliver on multiple benchmarks. However, this has also provided an opportunity for many unscrupulous players to either produce cheap products or indulge in counterfeiting. Such is the greed for money that those indulging in food adulteration knowingly refuse to see its unabashed disregard for human life. What makes this problem even more complicated is the fact that there are a host of cheap, easily available and life-threatening options at the disposal of the adulterators that frankly it's difficult to pinpoint the most effective strategy in this situation. It’s indeed a hydra-headed monster that we are dealing with.

Economically, adulteration cuts production costs and boosts profit margins, but from the health and safety perspective, it plays a deadly game with all those it comes in contact with. The travesty of justice is evident from the fact that no matter what the health damage, people literally go scot free under the present law. While there is a provision for life imprisonment for adulteration, the police don't have the power to invoke the FSSAI act; this can only be invoked by the food safety authorities in the States. The net result is that most cases receive a maximum imprisonment of six months or a fine of `1000. The FSSAI, which is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through regulation and supervision of food safety has collected a total of 84,537 adulterated food samples from all States in 2014-15, 77,941 in 2015-16 and 80,463 in 2016-17. However, the convictions stood at only 1,402 in 2014-15, 540 in 2015-16 and 1,591 in 2016-17. To my mind, this rate has to simply skyrocket in times ahead and this could be a vital part in dealing with the complex maze of adulteration.

Commonly adulterated items in India include milk, pulses, rice, local sweets, vegetable oils and ghee, honey, liquor, medicine and so on. According to the National Survey on Milk Adulteration 2011, in States like Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Mizoram, adulteration of milk was up to a 100 per cent with the national average at 68.4 per cent. The adulterants of choice were found to be urea and detergent.

Pulses are consumed by a large number of people. This makes profit easy to come by and adulterants like asbestos (polishing), metanil yellow (colour) and soluble coal tar (shine) are added. These are all carcinogenic and compromise consumers’ health. Rice, which is a staple food in India, has become a favourite with the adulterators, who till recently, were adding marble chips, mixing sand, chalk and brick powder, and have also started a synthetic replication of rice called ‘plastic rice'. Experts warn that this form raises the risk of cancer by 15-20 per cent and damages the digestive and reproductive system.

Local sweets are a rage in all parts of the country. However, sulphur dioxide in excessive amounts, starch, aluminium and more are added to save cost and enhance the visual appeal. These can cause severe allergies and in worst cases, fatality.Vegetables oils and ghee are necessities that are exploited by the adulterators. In mustard oil, argemone seeds and papaya seeds, which are used to add bulk and weight, can cause epidemic dropsy and severe glaucoma. People have lost their eyesight by consuming sub-standard edible oil. The young, old and those with immunity issues are particularly vulnerable.

Recently, an article in a newspaper in the month of April, 2018, carried a report about a fake ghee factory that was busted in Uttar Pradesh. It contained packets of prominent dairy brands like Amul, Paras, Sanskar and Madhav. It was found that they were using a combination of dalda (vegetable ghee), refined oil and essences to make desi ghee. Officials say that this combination was like poison and played havoc with the lives of the people.These were sold at a cheaper price and nexus with local wholesale traders ensured its penetration in the markets.

Honey, which is known for its overall health benefits is being denatured with the addition of corn syrup, which is imported from China and invert sugar which is locally available. The net result of all this, according to the experts, is that 85 per cent of the honey sold in India, is adulterated. I have limited my scope to the very basic and essential items sold across the length and breadth of our country. The situation is no better in spices, ice creams, liquor, medicines and bottled water.

Last year, understanding the gravity of the situation, the law commission had recommended a set of stringent measures.It recommended that sections 272 and 273 of the Indian Penal Code be amended to make adulteration a serious crime. The commission also recommended increasing the fine on adulterators from `1000 to `10 lakh and increasing jail time from six months to imprisonment till death.To their credit, States like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha have already implemented the second point. However, a lot more needs to be done and more States have to follow suit if we are to effectively tackle the menace of food adulteration.

The Government needs to intensify its efforts in creating large scale awareness campaigns that educate the consumers about the ill-effects of buying counterfeit products and the consumers on their part need to be aware that a small saving that is made by purchasing counterfeits can have life-threatening results. The need of the hour is to set up systems for regularly monitoring through a large number of accredited laboratories across the country. These will check, verify and satisfy that the products available in the marketplace are meeting the quality and safety standards and that they are indeed genuine. Such a mechanism should be on a fast track basis so that examples are made out of such unscrupulous elements and they never muster the courage to break the law again.

(The writer is Chairman, FICCI-CASCADE and Sr. Vice President, ITC Ltd )

Display of food safety boards a must

Chandigarh: The state government has instructed the district authorities to ensure that food safety display boards are installed at places where food business operators ply their trade. A spokesperson said under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011, it was mandatory to display a copy of the licence at a prominent place at all times on the premises used by the operators concerned. 

தேங்காய் எண்ணெய்யில் கலப்படம் செய்த 51 நிறுவனங்களுக்கு சீல்!

கொச்சின்: 51 நிறுவனங்கள் கலப்படத்தில் ஈடுபட்டதால், உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துறைஅதிகாரிகள் சீல் வைத்து நடவடிக்கை எடுத்துள்ளனர். 

கேரள மாநிலத்தில் அதிக தென்னை மரங்கள் காணப்படுகின்றன. இதனால் தேங்காய் விளைச்சல் அதிகம். எனவே அம்மாநில மக்கள் சமையலுக்கு தேங்காய் எண்ணெய் பயன்படுத்தி வருகின்றனர். 

ரீபைண்ட் எண்ணெய்யில் உடல் நலத்திற்கு தீங்கு விளைவிக்கும் வேதிப் பொருட்கள் இருக்கின்றன. எனவே இதனை பெரும்பாலானோர் பயன்படுத்துவதில்லை. தேங்காயில் எண்ணெய்யில் இருக்கும் கொழுப்பு, நல்ல கொழுப்பு ஆகும். 

இந்நிலையில் ரீபைண்ட் எண்ணெய் பயன்படுத்துவோரும், தற்போது தேங்காய் எண்ணெய் பயன்பாட்டிற்கு மாறியுள்ளனர். இதனால் எண்ணெய் வியாபாரம் நிறுவனங்கள் நல்ல லாபம் ஈட்டி வருகின்றன.

இங்கிருந்து பல்வேறு மாநிலங்களுக்கும் தேங்காய் எண்ணெய் ஏற்றுமதி செய்யப்படுகிறது. இந்த சூழலில் தேங்காய் எண்ணெய்யில் கலப்படம் செய்யப்படுவதாக உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துறைக்கு புகார்கள் வந்தன. 

இதையடுத்து பாலக்காடு, கோழிக்கோடு, கொச்சி உள்ளிட்ட இடங்களில் செயல்பட்டு வரும் நிறுவனங்களில் ஆய்வு மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டது. அதில் 51 நிறுவனங்கள் சிக்கின. இவற்றிற்கு உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துறை அதிகாரிகள் சீல் வைத்து நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொண்டனர்.

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Raid in Store

 

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Strips to detect presence of formalin, ammonia in fish to hit market soon

There are two separate kits for detecting the presence of formalin and ammonia in fish, each kit includes testing strips with a solution and a colour chart to assess contamination.

S J Laly and Priya E R, the scientists who developed fish contamination testing kits

KOCHI: Mumbai-based HiMedia Laboratories Pvt Ltd will manufacture and market fish contamination testing kits developed by the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (CIFT). With presence in more than 140 countries, HiMedia is among the top three brands in microbiology in the world. It manufactures testing kits for water, blood and serum, orchid media and salts. The company had recently won the bid for transfer of technology floated by CIFT. According to sources, the product will hit the market within a month.

“We had published an invitation for ‘expression of interest’ around two months ago. Many companies submitted bids and the highest bidder was selected after a detailed interaction. Since it is a product to check food adulteration, we want to ensure it is delivered at the lowest rate to the consumers. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is also keen to ensure availability of such products so that adulteration can be checked,” principal scientist K Ashok Kumar told Express.

The CIFT will provide a week-long training to the professional from Hi Media on the development of the product. CIFT and FSSAI will ensure that the quality of the product is maintained. The kit was developed by scientists Laly S J and Priya E R at the CIFT. The rapid test kit was developed following a request from the Kerala Government to provide technology for detecting the presence of formalin and ammonia in the fish brought to the markets in Kerala from neighbouring states. “We were keen to develop a non-destructive, simple and consumer-friendly procedure, which will make it easy for the layman to detect adulteration of fish,” he said 

There are two separate kits for detecting the presence of formalin and ammonia in fish. Each kit includes testing strips with a reagent solution and a standard colour chart to assess the extent of contamination. The strip has to be scraped on the surface of fresh fish or fish meat, and then 1-2 drops of the reagent solution should be added. The colour change can be compared with the attached colour chart for easy detection of adulterants in domestically marketed fish.

Kerala, Nagaland crack down on sale of formalin-laced fish as toxic carcinogenic chemical poses major health hazards

Major raids have been carried out in Kerala and Nagaland, with nearly 15,600 kilograms and Rs 10 lakh worth of formalin-laced fish being seized from the two states respectively. Formalin is the chemical used to preserve bodies and prevent its decay in mortuaries. The widespread use of the deadly chemical nowadays in the preservation of fish, fruit, and other food items is posing a great threat to public health.

Formalin-laced fish seized in Kerala

Since 24 June, at least 6,000 kilograms of fish preserved in toxic chemical 'formalin', were seized at the border check post in northern Palakkad district in Kerala, and 9,600 kilograms seized at the check post in Kollam district in the state.

The Kerala food safety department officials foiled an attempt to ferry the chemical-mixed fish from Andhra Pradesh during a raid carried out in the Palakkad district as part of the 'Operation Sagar Rani,' a drive launched in May to ensure safety and hygiene at fish handling and distribution centres, reported The Hindu.

As many as 6,000 kilograms of prawns, brought in 45 lorries, were found mixed with formalin, officials said.

The week before, 12,000 kilograms of toxic fish, containing formalin, were confiscated during raids in the state.

The complete fish load was sent to the chemical laboratory in Ernakulam district for further examination, they said. A 15-member team of food safety officials from Kozhikode, Ernakulam, and Palakkad, led by joint food safety commissioner, carried out the raid.

The crackdown on the carcinogenic chemical being used for preserving fish in the state continued with a raid on 25 June at the border check post of Arayankavu in Kollam district.

Nearly 9,600 kilograms were seized when officials from the state food safety department intercepted a cargo carrying formalin-laced fish from Tuticorin in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, at the check post, a release said on 26 June.

The fish that arrived in two vehicles included 7,000 kilograms of prawns and 2,600 kilograms of other species.

A total of 21,600 kilograms of fish with formalin has been seized after the launch of the operation, in Kerala so far.

According to a Kerala food safety official, the presence of formalin was detected during the preliminary examination carried out using paper strips, developed by the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology.

Assistant food safety commissioner AK Mini said, “The department has decided to step up the vigil and conduct random tests at fish markets to look out for chemical mixed fish." She further added that the department has appealed to the state government to allow refrigerated fish trucks only, reported Financial Express.

According to the same report, tests conducted in the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology in Kochi found that a kilogram of fish contained 63.9 mg of formalin. A health expert, Mathew Thomas said, “Formalin poses serious health hazards. It triggers a metabolic process and produces toxins, once inside the body. While cooking, its toxicity never gets spoiled.”

Formalin-laced fish seized in Nagaland

Following suit with Kerala, days after a notification was issued in Nagaland prohibiting the sale of fish products preserved with formalin, on 25 June the Kohima district administration seized such products treated with preservatives, from four vehicles, worth about Rs 10 lakh.

In Kohima, officials from the district administration, Municipal Council, and Health and Family Welfare intercepted four vehicles transporting the fresh fish products and seized the

four-wheelers, the police said on 26 June.

On testing, the fish products were found to have been treated with formalin, the police said.

The drivers of the four vehicles along with the seized fish products were handed over to South Police Station in Kohima. The fish products were disposed at the KMC dumping site in the presence of the Food Safety Commissioner-cum-Commissioner and Secretary Himato Zhimomi.

Zhimomi on 22 June had prohibited the storage, distribution, and sale of fresh fish products treated with formalin or other forms of preservatives in the state for a period of three months or till corrective measures were taken.

Crustaceans such as crab, lobsters, and prawns were included among the fresh fish products in the notification. Zhimomi had said that a fine of Rs 10 lakh with imprisonment under relevant sections of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 would be imposed on those found violating the order.

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Now, tea powder adulterated

'FSSAI-industry collaborations to push food safety progressing rapidly'

The FSSAI-Industry collaborations, to strengthen science based food safety capability built in India are progressing rapidly, said Paul Hepburn, Programme Director Food & Refreshment, Safety & Environmental Assurance Centre (SEAC), Unilever, UK.

Delivering a on "Food safety Assessment – Novel Ingredients and Additives", Hepburn said that with the advent of global food supply chains, there is a growing list of novel ingredients and food additives which need safety assessment.

Hepburn outlined the critical importance of novel ingredients and additives for ensuing food safety, quality and food security, and explained the scientific safety evaluation principles that enable inclusion of these at safe levels.

The concept of 'exposure' – milligrams of the ingredient or additive per kg body weight of consuming human being, helped the audience appreciate basics of risk assessment. He showcased risk assessment tools and shared compelling safety evaluation case studies e.g. plant sterols for cholesterol control.

Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Hindustan Unilever (HUL) had collaboratively set up CHIFSS (CII-HUL Initiative on Food Safety Sciences) and had subsequently signed a MoU with Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) in 2016 in order to promote science based food safety.

Pawan Agarwal, CEO, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India emphasized on how the Innovations in the food industry and increasing consumer interest in food safety, and the introduction of novel foods that are added to human foods, makes it imperative for the authority to have the safety evaluation of all the new ingredients through a rigorous scientific and risk assessment based framework.

He shared how FSSAI, as per Food Safety and Standards (Approval of Non-Specified Food and Food Ingredients) Regulations, 2017, regulated the approval process and safety evaluation of novel food ingredients.

Geetu Verma, Executive Director – Foods, Hindustan Unilever Limited took the audience through the journey of CHIFSS over the last two years.

She highlighted the areas where CHIFSS was active and how CHIFSS was firmly establishing a scientific and robust food safety environment in the country.

The Public lecture was attended by stakeholders including eminent scientists, government officials and professionals from academia and Industry along with students from related fields. Subsequently

Raids carried out at fish markets

KOCHI: Following successive seizure of formalin-laced fish consignments brought in from other states to Kerala, the health squad under the health standing committee of city corporation on Wednesday carried out raids at Ernakulamand Kadavanthra fish markets to check adulteration of fishes.

The raid was carried out by a team of health inspectors but they couldn't find the presence of formalin in a single fish sold in these markets.

"Raids started in the morning. We only found fresh river fishes in these markets and we didn't come across any fish varieties imported from other states. We used a rapid detection kit to test whether the fish available in the market is contaminated. We couldn't find the presence of chemicals or toxins," said Minimol V K, chairperson of the health standing committee.

Minimol said that in the coming days, raids would be carried out to all markets coming under the corporation limit.

"Just because we couldn't find formalin-laced fish today doesn't mean that nobody is selling contaminated fish. Following the raids conducted over the past two days, fish vendors are vigilant. So, they might have been excepting similar raids in this regard and might have removed those imported fish to safer places fearing seizure," said an official with the corporation.

Food safety department is also planning to carry out unexpected raids in fish markets in the coming days.

Sweetmeat shops under fire for unhygenic conditions in Guwahati

A team of food safety officials inspected a number of sweetmeat shops, restaurants, dhabas and food joints in Guwahati.

This is in continuation of the ongoing drive against food adulteration and sale of food in unhygienic conditions.

Sweetmeat shop inspected include Diganta Sweets (Last Gate), Kanhaji Sweets (Survey), Loyan’s Bakery (Survey), Gokul Sweets (Beltola), Sharma Sweets (Beltola), Prime Bakes (Survey), Rajbangshi Hotel (Rukminigaon) Ajay Hotel (Rukminigaon) and Shahuji Sweets.

A mustard oil godown of Century Mercantile Pvt Ltd was also inspected. “We have served improvement notices to all the inspected restaurants, hotels, and food joints. Food samples have been taken and those are being sent to the food analysts laboratory for necessary testing for food quality,” Tarun Das, Senior Food Safety Officer of the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA)reports The Assam Tribune.

Das informed that all the units checked on Wednesday had their kitchen hygiene standards below the required level for which improvement notices were served.

“We closed down one kitchen of Prime Bakes and Salasar at Megha Plaza near Basistha Chariali for poor hygiene,” he said, adding that mustard oil samples of ten different brands were collected from Century Mercantile Pvt Ltd for testing.

Last week the inspection team had conducted a drive on sweetmeat shops at Fancy Bazar and during inspection, the kitchens of Rookman Sweets, Salasar Mistan Bhandar and Sarma Sweets and were found unsatisfactory in terms of hygiene and sanitation.

All the shop owners were instructed to do necessary renovation within seven days and close the kitchens during the period accordingly.

“Rookman has sought more time for a thorough renovation of its kitchen and we have allowed that,” Das said.

Awareness meet on food safety act

TANGLA, June 27: An awareness meet on consumer law and food safety act was held at the MRSD office premises in Udalguri town on Tuesday. The meet, organized by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) in collaboration with the Mission for Rural Skill Development (MRSD), was chaired by Kinkini Borah, secretary of DLSA, Udalguri. In her speech, Borah informed in details about the significance of legal provisions to protect the rights of each and every consumer in the event of complaints received from them. She also informed that a district-level consumer right forum would be formed as per the direction from the authority concerned and exhorted the people of Udalguri district to keep themselves updated.

The DLSA secretary also presented a picture of legal provisions to fight against adulteration of food. The meet was also addressed by senior advocate Jayanta Brahma, Sub-Inspector of Food and Civil Supplies, Parthapratim Hazarika and adviser of MRSD, Rewati Raman Sapkota.

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Banned tobacco products worth Rs 20 lakh seized in TN

The banned tobacco products were seized by a team of 10 officials led by designated officer for food safety, ... Read More

MADURAI: Food safety officials on Wednesday seized banned tobacco products weighing around two tonnes from two houses on the outskirts of Dindigul town in Tamil Nadu. The estimated value of the seized items is Rs 20 lakh.

The banned tobacco products -- 1.6 tonne of Ganesh tobacco 701, 350kg of Vimal pan masala and 150kg of cool lip filtered tobacco -- were seized by a team of 10 officials led by designated officer for food safety, Dindigul district, Dr K Natarajan.

The banned items were hidden in two residential houses, belonging to the same person, at Mettupatti.

The officials acted on a tip off and confirmed the presence of the contrabands in the houses. They took the help of police. Women officials from the food safety department were also deployed since women were the only occupants in the houses. The smugglers were not present in the house.

Officials suspect that it could be a part of larger network. Details like mode of transport and the distribution network were under investigation. If proven, the smugglers would get six months imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh.

Two tonnes of banned tobacco confiscated

Dindigul: Food safety officials on Wednesday seized banned tobacco products weighing around two tonnes from two houses on the outskirts of Dindigul town. The estimated value of the seized items is Rs 20 lakh.

The banned tobacco products -- 1.6 tonnes of Ganesh tobacco 701, 350kg of Vimal pan masala and 150kg of cool lip filtered tobacco -- were seized by a team of 10 officials led by designated officer for food safety, Dindigul district, Dr K Natarajan.

The banned items were hidden in two residential houses, belonging to the same person, at Mettupatti. Of the 30 bundles, 25 were found in one portion, the rest were found in the other.

The officials acted on a tip-off and confirmed the presence of the contraband in the houses. They took the help of police. Women officials from the food safety department were also deployed since women were the only occupants in the houses. The smugglers were not present in the house.

While the contraband has been shifted, the samples would be sent to a laboratory.

Officials suspect that it could be a part of larger network. Details like mode of transport and the distribution network were under investigation.

NVCO wants FIR filed on formalin in fish case

DIMAPUR, JUNE 27 (MExN): The Nagaland Voluntary Consumers’ Organisation (NVCO) has lauded the analysis wing (State Public Health Laboratory, Kohima) and the enforcement wing Kohima (Food safety officials) for the timely detection of fish injected with formalin which lead to seizure of huge quantity of fish from the market.

A press release issued by media cell, NVCO said ever since the inception of the implementation of Food Safety & Standard Act 2006 in the state, this was the first time that the Food Safety Commissioner, Nagaland issued a blanket ban on storage, distribution and sale of fresh fish products treated with formalin which is highly toxic and carcinogenic.

Earlier, it said the Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, Department of Health & Family Welfare failed to hold the responsibility of State Food Authority as Food Safety Commissioner for the reason best known to them.

Consequent to the recent detection of formalin in fish, the NVCO has urged the authority to lodge an FIR so as to allow the investigating agency to arrest those unscrupulous traders who were purposely using various hazardous edibles just to make money at the cost of public life and health. The State Government should also set up an appropriate committee to enquire as to how, where and who were involved in the health hazard act, it added.

While stressing that food is not safe in Nagaland and the importance of food safety is ‘no one can refuse food,’ the NVCO has appealed to the State Government to take advantage of the recent detection as an opening to a flood gate in checking the unscrupulous traders, while assuming that this case is just tip of an iceberg.

The NVCO, also terming it as very encouraging to see the State Public Health Laboratory, Kohima in full swing by undergoing testing of several food products, however said the laboratory is still require more equipments to upgrade it so as to ensure several item of food safety to all citizen as a consumer.

The State Government is required to put more concentration on this issue as food safety is concern to all whether rich or poor, young or old, educated or illiterate, it maintained. It also reminded that the Food Safety Authority should undertake activity and programmes for dissemination of information, education and awareness on food safety.

It pointed out that the Food Safety & Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) has regulated Food Safety and Standard Act 2006 for every state of India to ensure food safety and standards for human consumption and to check the sub-standard of any article of foods in every state by Food Safety Officer.

Citing an instance of how ill equipped Nagaland was; the NVCO said the state does not even have a slaughterhouse, even though it is mandatory for every state to have slaughterhouses with proper hygiene and maintenance instruments and to be regularly checked by the concern doctor before handing it for human consumption.

Therefore, the NVCO has appealed to public to be aware of the many hazardous issues such as adulterants, colorants and chemicals that are found in most of the food items sold and consumed everyday and also the expiry food items including medicines.

Results from fish samples send for test awaited: DCCI

DIMAPUR, JUNE 27 (MExN): The Dimapur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has informed that fish samples have been collected from importers and send to Guwahati for further testing to ascertain the presence of formalin in fish.

If the tests on the samples are found positive, action would be taken against those business firms involved in unethical business practices, the DCCI said. It however requested the public not to make hasty conclusions since results were being awaited.

The DCCI also maintained that for safety of the consumers, since the banning of the formalin injected fish, there has been no import and auctioning of fish for the last 3 days. It also said there will be no import of fish from outside by the business community till the test result arrives.

It further notified that as a business community, it was working overtime to ensure quality product to the consumers and has requested the public to be vigilant and inform DCCI on any issue related to business malpractices at contact no.7005526728.

The DCCI also appreciated the Health and Welfare Department for banning the sale of formalin injected fish which threatens the health of the consumers

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