Sep 11, 2018
Dig In! This City Wins India’s First ‘Clean Street Food Hub’ Tag, Judged Safest by FSSAI
Ahmedabad, known for its delectable spread of street food, has the country’s first ‘clean street food hub’
Thankfully you can now dig into your favourite chaats, without the fear of your stomach going awry. Gujarat’s smart city, Ahmedabad, now has the country’s first clean street food hub, where you can partake of culinary pleasures without health repercussions.
India’s first ‘clean street food hub’, is in Ahmedabad. Go indulge.
According to a Hindustan Times report, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), declared the Kankaria Lake area in Ahmedabad, as the country’s first clean street food hub.
The 15th century lake has around 66 street food vendors, who cater to around 12 million people per year.
The FSSAI framed guidelines for upgrading the infrastructure for existing street food clusters, to make it more safe and hygienic. The parameters included:-
1. Garbage disposal practices.
2. Maintenance of personal hygiene.
3. Demarcating of cooking and non-cooking areas.
4. Working street lights.
5. Pest control.
6. Overall cleanliness.
Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, told the Hindustan Times, that there is a 80% cut-off, above which everything is outstanding. He praised the efforts of those involved and said it is now a standard to be maintained.
A pre-audit of the street was carried out by the FSSAI, along with Gujarat Food and Drug Control Administration, and other regulatory agencies. Suggestions were given for improvement, and street food vendors were trained. After being satisfied with the changes made by the vendors, the authorities bestowed it with the distinction of being a ‘clean street food hub’.
make street food popular to domestic and international tourists, nudging the street vendors into an ecosystem where the latter will be held up with high esteem, all around the world. The objective also includes preserving the rich culinary heritage of the country.
Foodies can now have a field day sampling the best of street food in the country!
Sep 10, 2018
How I managed to go gluten free
Diagnosed with Celiac disease, an author shares the diet modifications that helped her manage the condition
I was diagnosed with Celiac disease almost nine years ago. At the time, I was clueless about the autoimmune disorder and the way it would alter my life in the years to follow. I began by researching online and became a regular on websites such as Mayo Clinic, John Hopkins and the Chicago Hospital Celiac Disease Centre. The first thing you’re told when you’re diagnosed with this condition is that since gluten is a trigger, you must eliminate it from your diet. But going off gluten entirely is easier said than done. This was in 2009-10, when there weren’t as many gourmet or organic stores as there are today. Family and friends helped me locate a few places that stocked gluten-free food products and I felt better prepared to take on the condition. Soon, I was reading labels before adding things to my shopping cart. But even the few gourmet stores I managed to find, had little idea about what ‘gluten-free’ actually meant. So I took the initiative to educate them and also started experimenting by including gluten-free ingredients in regular dishes.
Navigating food choices
Being a South Indian, my regular diet offered numerous natural gluten-free options. But figuring out what was truly gluten-free and healthy from the traditional Indian diet was a challenge. I realised that only sticking to rice, ragi and imported, packaged gluten-free foods wasn’t going to be enough. It did help in healing my gut but I was also putting on weight and was getting tired easily. Connecting with celiac support groups online, helped me find gluten-free food manufacturers in India.
I realised that I needed to include more whole grains, vegetables and fruits in my diet. By 2012, my meals included gluten-free ingredients such as millets, rice, seeds, nut flours, seed flours, buckwheat, amaranth and other root flours. Soon, I was having chapatis and puris made of gluten-free flour. Cost, nutrition and access to ingredients were factors that moderated my food choices. Once I made this shift, I realised I didn’t feeling fatigued or bloated anymore.
Leading a gluten-free life
As a person who suffers from Celiac Disease, here are a couple of things I always keep in mind:
1. Read labels: I have found hidden sources of gluten on food labels numerous times, but my greatest discovery was learning that compounded asafoetida in powdered form, contains wheat. Even if I know a product is gluten-free, I still read the label because sometimes, manufacturers can change an ingredient or claim something is gluten-free when actually, it isn’t. The main reason I insist upon this is because even though the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) introduced labelling regulations in 2016, there is a lamentable lack of enforcement.
2. Plan ahead: I always plan my meals. Whether I am commuting, attending a conference or a meeting, I always ensure that I have my meals figured out in advance. I must admit that I have learnt to be a meticulous planner the hard way. Not having access to food you’re allowed can mean going hungry for hours together. Foods you can carry with you at all times, include nuts, energy bars, gluten-free sandwiches, fruits and now, you also have ready-to-heat-and-eat chapatis. I always check the menus of restaurants online before visiting them. When in doubt, I check with the waiter, restaurant manager or chef. I sometimes eat before attending events because there’s always a possibility that I won’t be able to eat anything that I would be offered. Also, if I am taking an international flight, I book gluten-free meals 24 hours prior to my flight.
3. Maintain a food diary: This has helped me discover what suits my gut. I discovered I am slightly lactose-intolerant and that coffee doesn’t suit me. I also realised I have to avoid excess dal and vegetables such as okra, spinach and brinjal.
4. Keep stress at bay: Stress triggers and aggravates autoimmune disease symptoms. So, as much as possible, I try to keep stress at bay. Whatever the cause of your stress, try to deal with it when you are healthy and best prepared to tackle it.
The writer is the co-author of A Gluten Free Life – My Celiac Story, and is also a special diets baker and consultant
Food Safety dept seizes 4000 litres of adulterated oil
During the spot inspection, an official statement said that the the party of defaulters were emptying damaged and expired five litre packs of edible mustard oil (Vinakya Brand) and illegally filling into non-food grade drums and barrels otherwise used for fungicides and insecticides for possible relabeling or resale.
1500 litres was seized from the premises and 2500 litres was recovered from a nearby godown. Samples of same were also lifted for laboratory analysis.
Meanwhile, taking cognizance of apprehensions of using synthetic food colour, this week, food safety officials conducted rigorous inspections and market checking in food markets of various parts of Srinagar district, during which one quintal Wazwaan prepared with synthetic food colours and 200 litre of spoilt milk were destroyed and also, ten samples were lifted during the drive.
Food business operators have been warned to desist from the malpractice or stern action under FSS Act shall be initiated against them.
Food safety authority notifies norms for audit via third-party agencies
In a bid to create a pool of auditing agencies, FSSAI had already given provisional recognition to 22 audit agencies
Food businesses can voluntarily have their units certified by FSSAI-recognised professionals
NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 9
In a bid to strengthen the safety surveillance system in the country, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified auditing regulations. This has been done to enable checks on compliance levels among packaged food companies and food businesses through FSSAI-recognised third-party auditing agencies.
Under these regulations, third-party safety audits will be made mandatory for certain food categories based on risk classification.
“While emphasising on self-compliance by the food businesses, to address the need to monitor such compliance, FSSAI is envisaging introducing audit of food companies by FSSAI-recognised auditing agencies,” the food safety authority said.
The Food Safety and Standards (Food Safety Auditing) Regulations 2018 outline procedure for recognition of auditing agencies, terms and conditions for recognition, duties of auditors, audit reporting and audit monitoring systems among others.
Risk classification
“The food authority shall specify the category or type of food businesses, which shall be subject to mandatory safety auditing, on the basis of their risk classification,” the regulations stated. The risk classification will be done based on various parameters such as food type, intended customer use, nature of the activity of the business, volumes of the business, and the method of processing.
Independently, packaged food companies, food businesses and institutions can also voluntarily opt for third-party food audits of their facilities.
Officials said third-party audits will not only help strengthen the compliance culture among food companies and businesses but will also help reduce the burden of regulatory surveillance for Central and State licensing authorities.
“A food business having satisfactory food safety audits report may be subject to less frequent inspections by the Central licensing or the State licensing authorities,” the regulations stated.
In a bid to create a pool of auditing agencies, the FSSAI had already given provisional recognition to 22 audit agencies.
The truth behind genetically modified food imports in India
The GEAC derives its authority from the 1989 rules to give effect to the 1986 Environment Protection Act, which, among other things, governs GM crops.
Are the regulators sleeping on the watch while processed food containing genetically-modified (GM) plant material is being imported into the country? In a study released at the end of July, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said it had detected GM material in 21 of 65 food samples it had tested from Punjab, Gujarat and the Delhi region. Of these, 16 samples were of imported food.
CSE’s director general Sunita Narain said in a press release that the imports were happening despite “our government says it has not allowed the import of GM food products.” Its deputy director general Chandra Bhushan blamed the regulatory agencies. “(T)he FSSAI has not allowed any GM food on paper, but has failed to curb its illegal sales.”
The government has indeed allowed the import of food and feed containing GM material subject to the approval of the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) in the environment ministry. The GEAC derives its authority from the 1989 rules to give effect to the 1986 Environment Protection Act, which, among other things, governs GM crops.
It is true that the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has not allowed the import or manufacture of GM food “on paper” or otherwise, though it is empowered to do so under Section 22 of the FSSAI Act 2006. The health ministry issued a notification in 2007 asking the GEAC to continue regulating GM food as the FSSAI hadn’t framed the necessary regulations nor had the necessary expertise. The GEAC held FSSAI’s powers in abeyance through regular notifications till it decided not to in its meeting in March. It transferred to the FSSAI the nine applications it had for import of herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant soybean and rapeseed oils from Monsanto Holdings, Dow AgroSciences and Pioneer Hi-Bred Seeds.
These companies sought approval for import of oils from plants containing their “events.” An event is the term for the location on a plant chromosome of a foreign gene that helps produce desirable proteins (for, say, herbicide-tolerance or insect-resistance). The GEAC was not abdicating its responsibility by passing on the import applications. The Supreme Court had, in August 2017, directed the FSSAI to frame regulations and guidelines for GM food articles and get Parliament’s approval for them. It passed the directions on two writ petitions filed by the anti-GM activist Vandana Shiva.
The tests that the CSE conducted to detect GM material in food—Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction—is flawed, according to Pradeep Burma, HoD-Genetics at Delhi University. He said it lacked “rigour in experimental design and analysis.” The manual for the testkit used by the CSE in its investigation recommends three control reactions: positive control, negative control and extraction control. Only the first two had been done. (A positive control is a test of the sample with GM DNA fragments, a negative control is one with a sample—say, soybean oil—that does not contain GM DNA material, and extraction control is a test only of the reagents used for testing to rule out contamination). Burma, who studied CSE’s test data, also pointed out other anomalies that were sent to the CSE for comment on August 8 but no reply has been received.
Lalitha Gowda of the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru, said her team had tested oil samples sent by the GEAC. The first test was in 2007, when the Solvent Extractors’ Association (SEA) had applied for permission to import oil from soybean containing foreign herbicide-tolerance and insect-resistance genes. Gowda recalls centrifuging the samples to obtain a pellet of residue. A PCR was done on the residue sample. “We could not get DNA from refined oil. It was impossible to obtain DNA or protein. We said it was not absent but it was not detectable.” This is recorded in the minutes of GEAC’s June 2007 meeting giving import approval to the SEA. Gowda was CFTRI’s chief scientist till retirement in 2014. Gowda says CFTRI’s tests were rigorous. Apart from the three controls, they would do environment control (to detect the presence of contaminant DNA in the lab’s atmosphere) and template control. And just to make sure that the instruments were not acting up, they would spike a sample with ordinary soy DNA. When the instruments detected it, they were assured they had not obtained false negatives.
Between the health ministry’s notification in 2007 and March, when the FSSAI took over, there were 56 meetings of the GEAC. A review of their minutes shows that the GEAC dealt with import applications, and complaints, quite diligently. Companies that owned the proprietary GM traits for herbicide-tolerance or insect-resistance— most GM crops approved for cultivation globally so far have either or both these traits—filed applications for import of products from plants containing those traits so that importers did not have to individually apply. These applications were filed by Monsanto Holdings, Bayer BioScience, Pioneer Hi-Bred, BASF India and Dow AgroSciences.
In April 2008, the GEAC adopted the final draft for safety assessment of food derived from GE plants. It was prepared by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. The guidelines were discussed at GEAC’s meeting the previous November. Several objections were raised by a member, PM Bhargava, known for his anti-GM stance. The draft was posted for public comments and the final draft was adopted after addressing them.
In May 2008, the anti-GM NGO, Greenpeace, complained to the GEAC about the import of Doritos Cool Ranch corn tortilla chips made by Frito-Lay, a subsidiary of PepsiCo. It said the presence of herbicide-tolerant soy and maize was detected in them. The GEAC formed a three-member committee. Greenpeace was called for a hearing, but did not turn up. When it was asked to turn in samples of the chips it had tested, it replied that the samples “were damaged” when its office was relocated in Bengaluru. Instead, it submitted a new sample of the same brand. The GEAC observed that Greenpeace had “not behaved very responsibly while making the accusation.” PepsiCo informed the GEAC, in reply to a notice, that it did not use GM produce for manufacturing any of its products in India, nor had it authorised import of its products from abroad.
Following the complaint, the GEAC alerted the directorate general of foreign trade—causing a consignment of Doritos corn chips from Taiwan to be held up at the Nhava Sheva port. The importer told the GEAC at its May 2009 meeting that Taiwan did not permit the cultivation of GM corn, though it allows import of corn and soybean oil from the US, where GM varieties of these crops are cultivated. On the declaration of the importer that the chips did not contain GM material, the consignment was allowed in, but the importer was warned of prosecution (under a foreign trade law) if the declaration turned out to be false. (There is no record of the GEAC asking the CFTRI to test the chips).
In December 2015, Suguna Foods (one of the largest poultry concerns in the country) sought permission for import of GM soybean meal for animal feed . In June 2016, the GEAC deferred a decision on the application pending comments from the FSSAI and the animal husbandry department. There is no mention of the application in subsequent meetings.
Following applications from at least 10 entities, including Godrej Agrovet, Suguna Foods and Shanthi Feeds for import of dry distillers grain soluble (DDGS) from GM corn (after alcohol is extracted), the GEAC formed a five-member subcommittee. Its guidelines were accepted at the January 2017 meeting and fresh applications were sought.
At the March meeting, the GEAC asked the Review Committee on Genetic Manipulation (RCGM) in the Department of Biotechnology to frame risk assessment and risk management (RARM) guidelines, following an application for import of GM grain. A representative of the plant quarantine agency said the grains should be split or treated with high heat to devitalise them so they do not propagate, if by chance, they escaped into the environment.
The FSSAI has framed draft guidelines for GM food. It has also proposed labelling of food products if they contain more than 5% of GM material by weight.
The “unlawful entry” of food derived from GM plants, as the CSE has alleged, cannot be ruled out. Food inspection departments have not pro-actively checked for GM material in processed food. But the importers run the risk of prosecution if caught—for violation of the law; not putting people’s health at risk, because GM food has been found to be safe. CSE’s brouhaha seems to be just scaremongering.
Owners of five ‘alemanes’ fined for ‘making’ spurious jaggery
The Additional Deputy Commissioner, who is the Adjudicating Officer for Food Standards and Safety Authority of India (FSSAI), has imposed a fine of Rs. 50,000 on each of the five ‘alemanes’, jaggery making units, in Bhadravati taluk for allegedly producing spurious jaggery.
A team of officials from FSSAI and the Department of Health and Family Welfare raided the five ‘alemanes’ recently and had found that spurious jaggery was allegedly being produced there.
B.S. Shankarappa, Designated Officer of FSSAI, told The Hindu that instead of freshly extracted sugarcane juice the owners were using stale jaggery and stale sugarcane purchased cheaply.
The consumption of jaggery produced in this manner is harmful for human health. The samples of jaggery seized from these ‘alemanes’ have been sent to a laboratory for tests.
Cases were also booked under Food Safety and Standards Act against Ramesh, Shivanna, Narayanappa, Jalil Saab and Srinivas, owners of these ‘alemanes’.
After the hearing, Additional Deputy Commissioner fined them Rs. 50,000.
This March, the Additional Deputy Commissioner had fined owners of four other ‘alemanes’ in Bhadravati taluk Rs. 1 lakh on similar charges.
Mr. Shankarappa told The Hindu that FSSAI is regularly receiving complaints on the production of spurious jaggery in Bhadravati taluk.
Sep 7, 2018
68% Of Milk, Dairy Products Violate FSSAI Standards, Says Punjab Official
Around 68.7 per cent of milk, milk products sold in India is not as per standards
LUDHIANA:
Around 68.7 per cent of milk and milk products sold in the country is not as per the standards laid down by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a member of the Animal Welfare Board said Wednesday.
Mohan Singh Ahluwalia, member, Animal Welfare Board of India said the most common adulterants are detergent, caustic soda, glucose, white paint and refined oil.
"The state of adulteration in milk and milk products in the country is such that 68.7 per cent of milk and milk products sold is not as per the standards laid down by the FSSAI," he said.
Quoting a report by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr Ahluwalia said 89.2 per cent of such products are adulterated in one form or the other.
He said the production of milk in the country up to March 31, 2018 has been registered at 14.68 crore litres per day against the consumption of 480 grams per capita per day.
The member was chairing a meeting of heads of different departments in Ludhiana.
He added that adulteration in milk is more prevalent in northern states as compared to the southern states.
Mr Ahluwalia said the National Survey on Milk Adulteration had conducted a survey some years back and found that due to lack of hygiene and sanitation in handling and packaging, detergents used in washing containers and other surfaces find their way into milk and milk products.
"However, detergent and other contaminants like urea, starch, glucose and formalin are also used to deliberately adulterate milk as they provide thickness and preserve the milk for longer periods," he said.
The Animal Welfare Board member said the adulterants in milk are hazardous and can cause irreversible damage to human organs.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) had recently issued an advisory to the Government of India stating that if adulteration of milk and milk products is not checked immediately, 87 per cent of citizens would be suffering from serious diseases like cancer by the year 2025.
Mr Ahluwalia warned that with excessive use of pesticides, even wheat is getting poisonous in north India, which is a "dangerous trend".
He urged the heads of all agencies involved in checking adulteration of food products to intensify the sampling process.
COMMENT
"With a view to equipping the Food Safety and Standards Act with more teeth, a committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely. The committee will investigate the ground realities of the issue and submit feedback," the member said while chairing another meeting at Nawanshahr.
Adulterated milk: Official says 68% milk & milk products in India not as per FSSAI standard
A not so favourable news for Indians where milk is widely used than any other country in the world. Mohan Singh Ahluwalia, member, Animal Welfare Board of India yesterday said around 68.7 percent of milk and milk products sold in India is not as per the standards prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Ahluwalia said the most common adulterants that are being used are caustic soda, detergent, white paint, glucose, and refined oil. He further quoted a report by the Ministry of Science and Technology, which said 89.2 per cent of such products are adulterated in one form or the other.
As mentioned by him adulteration in milk was more in the Northern states as compared to the southern states of India.
Ahluwalia further said that as per a survey conducted by the National Survey on Milk Adulteration a few years back, it was found that because of deficiency in maintaining hygiene and sanitation in handling and packaging, detergents used in washing containers mix with milk and milk products.
He said, “However, detergent and other contaminants like urea, starch, glucose and formalin are also used to deliberately adulterate milk as they provide thickness and preserve the milk for longer periods.” He said this in a meeting of heads of different departments and members in Ludhiana.
He said the adulterants in milk are hazardous and can cause irreversible damage to human organs. As per an advisory issued by The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently to the Government of India declared that if adulteration of milk and milk products is not checked immediately, 87 per cent of citizens would be suffering from serious diseases like cancer by the year 2025. Ahluwalia cautioned the excessive use of pesticides is a “dangerous trend” and all agencies associated with checking adulteration of food products to intensify the sampling process.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is an autonomous body set under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 with an aim to implement food safety and regulation in India as well as protecting and promoting public health.
India is the world’s largest milk producer and milk products due to country’s wide ruse of milk-related products.
Food safety team intercepts palm oil tankers
Nawanshshr, September 6
In continuation of drive under Tandrust Punjab Mission, Food Safety Team of Nawanshahr, comprising Assistant Commissioner Food Manoj Khosla and Food Safety Officer Sangeeta Sehdev, laid a naka at Garhshankar Road, Nawanshahr to check food items being transported from other states.
Two tankers carrying refined palm oil having capacity of 28MT and 27MT, were being transported by two companies of Kutch Gujarat, namely Louis Dreyfus Company India private limited and Cargill India private limited to ITC Ltd food division Tahliwal district Una (HP).
The samples of refined palm oil were taken from each tanker, which will be sent for analysis. Further action will be taken if any sample failed the quality norms.
Well water quality to be tested in flood-hit areas
The district administration on Thursday said that most flood-hit houses had been cleaned up and were fit for occupation.
Initiative by PCB and Haritha Keralam Mission on September 8 and 9
The State Pollution Control Board (PCB) and Haritha Keralam Mission will jointly test the water quality in wells in flood-hit areas in the district on September 8 and 9.
The Local Self Governments Department, Food Safety Commissionerate, and the Kerala Water Authority will participate in the initiative. Water in wells that were chlorinated as part of post-disaster cleaning work will also be tested.
Accordingly, water in 16,232 wells in areas falling under one flood-affected municipality and panchayat in six districts will be tested on a pilot basis. Chengannur, Thiruvalla, Vaikkom, North Paravur, Chalakudy and Kalpetta municipalities and Thalavadi, Ranni, Angadi, Thiruvarppu, Kalady, Mala and Padinjarethara panchayats will be covered in the first phase. The PCB will supply kits for water testing, which will be carried out by volunteers of National Service Scheme units in each district under the supervision of the panchayat or municipal authorities and peoples’ representatives. Volunteers have been trained as a prelude to the exercise.
Volunteers will have to upload details on a dedicated mobile app created for the purpose. The results will be published on the PCB website as well, besides sending them to panchayat secretaries and owners of wells.
A decision on follow-up examinations and quality assessment of well water in the affected areas will be taken at a meeting to be held at the Ernakulam guest house on September 10. Minister for Local Self Governments A.C. Moideen will chair the meeting.
Cleaning
Meanwhile, the district administration on Thursday said that 99.50% flood-hit houses had been cleaned up and were fit for occupation.
Panchayat Deputy Director K.V. Malathy said that out of the 1,75,415 affected houses in the district, 1,74,548 had been cleaned up. The remaining 867 houses are either unoccupied or in a dilapidated condition.
All schools have been cleaned up, while 98.68% of public establishments and 82% of wells have been sanitised. The cleaning drive was completed with the help of agencies like the Haritha Keralam Mission, Suchitwa Mission, employees of various departments, and volunteers within and outside the State. like Maharashtra, Punjab, and Odisha.
Removal of waste, including toilet waste, and other sanitation work are under way in the district under the aegis of the Haritha Kerala Mission and Suchitwa Mission. Panchayat Secretaries have been asked work in tandem with Health officials to check the outbreak of epidemics.
Sep 5, 2018
Zomato starts delisting restaurant partners without FSSAI licence
Move comes after the food safety authority’s clampdown
NEW DELHI, SEPTEMBER 4
Food aggregator Zomato on Tuesday said that it has decided to start delisting unlicensed restaurants from its platform.
This delisting drive by Zomato comes after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had pulled up food aggregators for not complying with its guidelines that became operational in February.
In a blogpost, Deepinder Goyal, Founder and CEO, Zomato, stated that “starting today we are de-listing hundreds of restaurants from our food ordering platform for not being compliant to FSSAI regulations. These restaurants were not able to furnish an FSSAI licence to Zomato.”
“As and when these restaurants provide us their FSSAI licences, we will enable them for online ordering service,” he added.
Zomato also said that some restaurants that were not able to furnish their FSSAI licences but “have high Zomato ratings and high repeat order volumes on Zomato”, have been given time till September-end to comply.
FSSAI guidelines
In its guidelines, the FSSAI has said that it is mandatory for e-commerce food services platforms to display the FSSAI licence or registration number of the restaurants listed on their platforms. In addition, food e-commerce players, excluding those that only provide listing or directory services, need to obtain an FSSAI licence.
However, in a review conducted on August 2, the FSSAI found that 30-40 per cent of restaurants listed on these platforms were either unlicensed or unregistered.
“FSSAI and Zomato have worked together to take strict action in the interest of public health. In fact, we will make sure that we don’t list any cloud kitchen on Zomato unless and until it goes through our mandatory hygiene check,which is a food safety and hygiene checklist,” Goyal wrote in his blog. This hygiene check will be conducted by a third party agency.
The food safety Authority had last month asked food aggregators to submit an action taken report on delisting unlicensed and non-registered restaurants.
Hyderabad markets replete with China powder-laced fruits
HYDERABAD: How safe are those juicy fruits you gorge on? A TOI recce at city markets found that vendors were using carcinogenic agents to ripen fruits.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines allow use of compressed ethylene gas, ethanol, ethephon but prohibits China powder.
At markets in Kothapet, Mehdipatnam and Mozamjahi, boxes of papayas and bananas were found stuffed with China powder. "We cannot meet the demand only with naturally ripened fruits," said a vendor in Kothapet.
A recent test by the state food laboratory found presence of calcium carbide, arsenic and phosphorus in fruits.
The FSSAI guidelines do not allow any source of ethylene or ethylene gas coming in direct contact with fruits.
Purchasing ethephon needs government nod but China powder is easy to buy. The powder imported from China reaches city markets via Mumbai and Chennai ports. China powder pouches, however, carry no mention of its chemical composition. Although 'carbide-free' fruits were common during the mango season, now those are hard to find.
Doctors advise people to avoid artificially ripened fruits. "It may cause gastro-intestinal diseases and even lead to headache and dizziness," said Dr Sudarshan Reddy, general physician, Continental Hospital.
TWO FOOD SAFETY OFFICERS, 8 MEDICAL OFFICERS PLACED UNDER SUSPENSION
Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij on Tuesday ordered to suspend food safety officers of two districts and eight medical officers for their alleged negligence in collecting samples of adulterated Khoya, paneer and other milk products from various districts in the state.
The Minister was presiding over a review meeting of the Department, here.
Vij ordered to suspend food safety officers, Prem Singh of Hisar and Shyam Lal Mahiwal of Karnal on finding unsatisfactory data regarding sample collection of adulterated milk products.
He said that during this season, 213 samples have been collected from all districts which included maximum 22 samples collected from Gurugram, 20 from Fatehabad, 16 from Panchkula and Faridabad, 13 from Jind, 12 from Rewari and Kaithal, 11 from Sirsa and Mewat, 10 each from Ambala, Palwal, Sonipat and Yamunanagar.
Prosecution against food adulterators adversely affected: HC
SRINAGAR, Sept 4: The High Court today observed that prosecution against food adulterators is adversely affected as there is no Legal Cell in place with the Government.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Alok Aradhe while hearing a Public Interest against the food adulteration has granted last opportunity to the State Government to take the efficient steps in order to remove all the deficiencies and place the action taken report before the Court in shape of affidavit with 10 days.
During the course of proceedings in the matter, Amicus Curie to the PIL, Senior Advocate Bashir Ahmad Bashir submitted before the Court that despite repeated orders, the authorities to some extent have improved, but still a lot has to be done by them to prevent the adulterated food from selling to general public as such he submitted, let Commissioner Food be directed to be present in the Court and he shall explain as to why despite Court orders, authorities have failed to implement the Food Safety Standards Act in its letter and spirit.
Court on perusal of the compliance report in terms of previous order, said the same is insufficient and only make references of issues taken up with the concerned departments.
Court also said that the staff for Food Safety Commission has not been addressed and recorded in the order that the court was inclined to impose heavy costs on the authorities but on the request of State counsel one more opportunity has been given.
Court on perusal of its previous order said the report is not in tune with its directions. Court on previous hearing had directed the concerned authorities to constantly check the poultry farms and ensure complete ban of use of antibiotics in the poultries.
Concerned Administrative Departments of the State Government were directed to have a constant check and monitor on the poultry farms, so that the poultry is reared in hygienic environment and ensure complete ban on the use of antibiotics like nalidixic acid and cirpofloxin or any other harmful ingredients in any poultry.
State counsel fairly submitted that the State is under an obligation to ensure the implementation of the provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and further added that the State Government shall take all positive steps to ensure the implementation of the provisions of the Act.
Concerned Administrative Departments of the State Government were directed to ensure that the regular inspection of bakers shall be undertaken, and to take samples in order to check the ingredients used by them and not to allow them to sell pastry, cakes and loose biscuits without manufacturing and expiry date.
Gujarat has fallen behind in food fortification: FSSAI
Gujarat has been battling child and maternal malnutrition for several years. In 2013, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) had pointed out that every third child in the state is underweight despite providing supplementary nutrition to targeted children between 2007-12.
Gujarat has been battling child and maternal malnutrition for several years.
The CEO of India’s food regulator on Tuesday that Gujarat, which had taken a lead in food fortification, has fallen behind other states like Haryana which are implementing it at a faster pace. Food fortification is enrichment of food by adding micro-nutrients to it.
Speaking at an event here, Pawan Agarwal, CEO of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), said, “Gujarat was ahead in the initiative of food fortification. Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) in 2006 (when he was the chief minister of Gujarat) had started edible oil and wheat flour fortification from the state… I want to say that though Gujarat had taken the initiative, it has fallen behind a little.”
Agarwal said that the FSSAI was currently running a campaign across the country to overcome micronutrient deficiencies by fortifying five staples, including wheat flour, edible oil, milk, salt and rice. “Haryana and other states are doing the work of food fortification at a faster speed. The competition has become tough for you (Gujarat). The state needs to re-visit the issue of food fortification,” he said, adding that “food fortification is a direct and a cheap way to supply micro-nutrients” and fortification of staples will help in addressing the deficiencies of iron, folic acid and other vitamins.
Gujarat has been battling child and maternal malnutrition for several years. In 2013, the Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) had pointed out that every third child in the state is underweight despite providing supplementary nutrition to targeted children between 2007-12.
The FSSAI CEO, however, congratulated Gujarat for being “one of the best performing states” on food safety. “The reputation of food safety administration across the country is not very good to an extent. Compared to other states, the food state administration here in Gujarat is one of the best performing in the country,” he said. Agarwal also launched RUCO (Repurpose Used Cooking Oil) application at a hotel here.
Aug 31, 2018
40% food samples tested, most fail to meet quality standards
Chandigarh: A food safety team on Thursday intercepted a vehicle at the Dhilwan toll plaza, carrying 40 tin containers of 15 kg each of edible oil/fat claimed to be Vanaspati, not bearing any label. The Amritsar-bound vehicle was ferrying the suspected material from Ludhiana. The stock was seized after taking samples of the same. TNS
Will ensure compliance: Pannu
The move by the Food Department against the food business operators engaged in the unscrupulous business of adulterated and spurious food stuffs would continue in order to ensure that the citizens get pure and healthy food, said KS Pannu, Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, Punjab.
Food safety officials had raided a milk manufacturing unit at Devigarh in Patiala earlier this month.
Patiala, August 30
About one-third of the food samples collected by the Health Department and the police across Punjab in the past fortnight have failed to meet the prescribed standards. However, none has been declared “unfit for human consumption”, even as expired products were being sold.
As per documents available with The Tribune, the food testing laboratory in Kharar received 904 samples of milk products, including ghee, milk and paneer, till August 22. Of the 364 samples whose test reports were prepared today, 322 were found substandard (containing poor-quality ingredients) or not conforming to food safety standards.
Three samples were found adulterated with water or fat. The sampling has confirmed that four samples were “misbranded”; which means that inferior products were passed off as those of a particular brand available in the market by using branded labels.
A senior officer associated with food and milk testing in the state said Punjab was one of the biggest producers and consumers of milk products, but the state needed a special laboratory to test “outside mixed fat in the form of urea, detergent, refined oil or other substances harmful to health. “At present, these tests are done in Haryana, Karnataka and Gujarat,” the officer said.
Mission Tandarust Punjab Director Kahan Singh Pannu told The Tribune that the test reports of samples collected from manufacturers where detergents and refined oil were seized were awaited. “As of now, the reports state that the products (whose samples were tested) sold across the state are of inferior quality and do not meet the standards prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI),” he said.
Pannu said the sampling reports would be sent soon to Additional Deputy Commissioners, who would ensure that the erring parties were fined heavily. “We have powers to impose a fine of Rs 10 lakh per sample,” he said.
40 tins of spurious vanaspati seized
Jalandhar, August 30
As many as 40 tins of spurious vanaspati weighing 600 kg were seized by teams of the Kapurthala Health Department during a drive on Thursday.
Heath officials, including Assistant Commissioner, Food, Dr Harjot Pal Singh and Food Safety Officer Satnam Singh, initiated the drive in the morning from Dhilwan Toll Plaza.
A Mahindra Bolero Maxi Truck from Ludhiana, en route to Amritsar, was stopped for checking. A total of 40 tins of vanaspati were seized from the truck.
The tins were not bearing any label on them. A label is required to mention information such as the name or nature of the product contained, name and complete address of the manufacturer or packer, date of manufacturing or packing, best before or use by the date, lot/code/batch identification, net quantity and nutritional information.
All these details are mandatory to be mentioned on the label of any sealed food item as per the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011.
All 40 tins were seized after taking its two samples. Thereafter, the health officials took these into custody and further action will be taken after getting the report from the State Food Laboratory, Kharar.
The legal action will be initiated in the court of law against the offenders as per the report of analysis of the State Food Lab, Kharar, under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, and Rules and Regulations, 2011.
Samples of milk products taken
Jalandhar: A team of the Health Department, on Thursday conducted sampling of milk and milk products in various areas of the city.
The team comprising District Health Officer Dr Balwinder Singh, Food Safety Officer Rashu Mahajan and others, started a crackdown against adulteration at 6 am and took six samples of milk and milk products, after laying a trap at Pathankot Chowk.
The team later collected a sample of ‘khoya’ at the Golden Avenue locality. An official said in this month, the food safety wing had collected 122 samples, including 91 milk and milk products, and the samples had been sent to the State Food Testing Laboratory, Kharar.
He said under the ‘Tandarust Punjab Mission’ such drives would continue in the coming days as well.
Swadeshi Jagran Manch opposes food fortification
The FSSAI has approved the fortification of staples like rice and wheat.
‘Some nutrients sourced from animals’
The RSS-affiliated Swadeshi Jagran Manch has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi opposing mandatory fortification of foods on the ground that some micronutrients are sourced from animals and are against the cultural beliefs and practices of vegetarians and may lead to “law and order issues.”
The group has also claimed that the import of technology and raw material for fortifying foods with micronutrients could have an adverse impact on the national economy.
The letter suggests that the food industry not have a role in decision-making because of their vested interests in fortification. It names Tata Trusts, Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Clinton Health Initiative, Food Fortification Initiative and Nutrition International, International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) as those companies or agencies that may have or are known to have vested interests in fortification.
It also says that universal fortification could prove to be harmful for some and should be given to only those people who have some kind of deficiency.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has notified Food Fortification Regulations 2018, which provide for minimum and maximum range of fortification of staples like wheat, maida, rice, salt, vegetable oil and milk.
Aug 30, 2018
CBI grills gutkha manufacturer
Team from New Delhi carries out interrogation at undisclosed location
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday commenced interrogation of suspects in the sensational gutkha scam. A special team comprising officials from the CBI’s Anti-Corruption (III) Unit, New Delhi, examined the manufacturer of the MDM brand of gutkha and others at an undisclosed location in the city, sources in the agency said.
“The CBI has done enough ground work before calling the suspects for interrogation. Questionnaires are being given to those summoned for questioning. If need be, the agency can summon the suspects to New Delhi as was done in other cases in the past,” a senior police officer said.
Besides statements of suspects and witnesses, the agency is relying on the books of accounts and other documents seized from the office and residential premises of the gutkha manufacturer and his employees, which point to payment of bribes to top officials.
The sale of gutkha is banned in Tamil Nadu. The owner of the MDM brand of gutkha had, however, given a statement allegedly admitting to sales of the contraband between November 2014 and June 2016 to the tune of ₹384.38 crore.
After registering a case in May this year, following an order of the Madras High Court, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court when challenged, the CBI wrote to the Income Tax Department, Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption and other agencies seeking documents relating to the case.
Though the usual practice of the central agency is to adopt the First Information Report of the State, in this case the CBI chose to register a fresh case against “unknown officials” of the Central Excise Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, Food Safety Department, public servants and private persons under Section 120B (Criminal Conspiracy) of the IPC and also invoked provisions under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The gutkha scam, exposed by The Hindu in June 2017, pertains to the alleged involvement of State Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar and DGP-rank officers T.K. Rajendran and S. George, among others, in taking bribes to the tune of ₹39.91 crore for facilitating the storage, transportation and sale of the banned commodity in the city. Though DVAC registered a case in September 2017, it could not file the chargesheet within the stipulated six months. The case was later transferred to the CBI by the Madras High Court while disposing of a petition filed by DMK MLA J. Anbazhagan.
Regulations pertaining to labelling of packaged food soon: FSSAI
A workshop was organised here to sensitise the local media about the importance of food fortification.
Food regulator FSSAI today said the regulations pertaining to labelling of packaged food products are being framed and will be issued soon.
"As far as labelling is concerned, one is packaged food's labelling whose regulations are being framed. Now main issue that is cropping up in this is which food will be called healthy and which food will be called not so healthy," Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Agarwal said.
"Industry views, scientific/medical community views on this are being reconciled after which labelling regulations will be issued soon," he told reporters here while replying to a question.
A workshop was organised here to sensitise the local media about the importance of food fortification.
"As far as restaurant food is concerned, where fixed menu is there or what we called Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), menu labelling can be done, but where chef prepares food, menu labelling is almost impossible," he said.
"However, gradually menu labelling has been implemented in some countries, including recently in the United States," the CEO said.
Taking into account their experience, there is a proposal in India for restaurants having chain of more than 20 outlets for having menu labelling in QSRs with fixed menu.
"Regulations in this regard are being framed and will be issued soon," Agarwal said.
He said the Women and Child Development Ministry and the HRD Ministry have already committed to provide fortified staples in mid-day meal scheme, in Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) programmes, double fortified salt has been mandated three years ago.
When asked about some controversies surrounding food fortification, Agarwal said, "In fact, globally fortification is the main and easiest way of addressing micro nutrient deficiencies practiced over hundreds of years, it is not new if our nutrition problem gets solved by adding fortificant and if for this we have to import, what is the harm.""I think these are some kind of confusions that are being created in the minds of people. Fortunately, those who are creating such confusion are miniscule in number," he said.
‘Ban hazardous milk products from north India’
The Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers Employees Welfare Association on Wednesday demanded the state government to stop the sale of milk and dairy products of companies from other states.
Chennai:
Citing the dangers posed by the products of companies from other states, especially northern India, the representatives of the milk dealers association submitted a petition to the State government demanding to ban their sale in Tamil Nadu. “The dairy products contain high amount of hydrogen peroxide, urea and formalin will pose severe threat to the health of the consumers,” Ponnusamy, president, Tamil Nadu Milk Dealers Employees Welfare Association, told DT Next.
Officials of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had recently raided a few milk plants in Punjab, where they found loads of adulterated milk and dairy products. he said that a majority of the dairy units in north India sell only adulterated dairy products.
“In 2012, a PIL was filed against adulterated milk and the Central government, after inspection, agreed that more than 75 per cent of the milk and dairy products were adulterated in 15 north Indian states. Among them, dairy products in six states were found to be 100 per cent adulterated,” claimed Ponnusamy.
Though the Central government knew that only adulterated dairy products was manufactured in these states, it failed to initiate any serious action. “The state government should conduct frequent inspections in markets and also in milk societies to prevent the sale of adulterated dairy products”, insisted the president of the association.
He further said that though the state government had formed a team with the chief secretary as its head to check the adulteration of dairy products, the panel, so far, has not inspected any of these dairy farms, alleged Ponnusamy. “Rather than officials, an expert team should be formed to check adulteration,” he suggested.
It may be recalled that some months ago, State Dairy Development Minister KT Rajenthra Bhalaji also charged that two private milk companies were selling adulterated milk in the state.
Aug 29, 2018
MTR gets notice after ‘bug in pickle’ complaint
The New Indian Express on July 28 had reported that a Bengaluru consumer had found a bug in an MTR pickle product.
BENGALURU: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has sent an improvement notice to MTR Foods following inspection of their factory premises. An improvement notice is sent when the food safety regulator finds non-compliance of the Food Safety Act’s provisions.
The New Indian Express on July 28 had reported that a Bengaluru consumer had found a bug in an MTR pickle product.
A letter sent to complainant Raj Sakhumalla on Monday by the Regulatory Compliance Division of FSSAI, New Delhi, read, “Officials from Regional Office, Chennai, have inspected both the units Indira Foods Pvt Ltd and MTR Foods Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, for verification compliance as per Schedule 4 of FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations. After inspecting of the said premises both the firms were served with improvement notice to comply with the provisions of FSS Act, 2006.”
Sakhumalla said, “According to FSSAI, serving an improvement notice to a Food Business Operator is big. However, I still do not understand how any of this is going to help a consumer like me or prevent MTR from repeating the same mistake. As you already are aware, MTR has done the same mistakes several times in the past and got away with it.”
Food samples snatched from health officials
High drama was witnessed at Jandiala Guru on Tuesday when a person snatched four food samples from officials of the Health Department. These samples were collected from a local bakery shop.
The accused, who is yet to be identified, said to be a relative of the bakery owner, Pawan Kumar.
Health officials have filed a complaint with the police in this regard. Later in the evening, they also sealed the bakery.
District Health Officer Dr Lakhbir Singh Baghowalia said, “When officials collected the sample, bakery employees created ruckus and held two of our employees hostage. We got them rescued with the help of the police. The way the samples were snatched, I feel these were of substandard quality. The owner and his relative were trying to create hurdles when officials were collecting the sample.”
The Police Commissioner has also asked the officials to take fresh samples from the bakery and take action against the culprits.
The health officials also found non-permitted colouring agents, which were used in sweets at the bakery.
They said the manufacturing unit of the bakery was running from a residential building. “The bakery owner could not produce the licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act,” said the health officer.
Meanwhile, the samples of milk, curd and cheese collected from two dairies — Gill Dairy at Gaunsabad and Pannu Dairy at Mahal — earlier last week have failed the lab test.
The health officials said milk, curd and cheese seized from the two shops would be destroyed.
“We have now received the reports of perishable items. The reports of desi ghee and milk powder samples are yet to be received,” he added.
The Health Department had seized milk powder from the shops, which suggested that it was used for making sweets.
Khyber’s ‘dahi’ packs seized for false dating
FSD orders recall of its milk products
Srinagar: The Food Safety Department on Tuesday directed its officials to recall from the market the milk products manufactured by ‘Khyber Milk’ after they found the company falsely labelling the date of manufacture on its ‘Pro-Active Dahi’.
The department has seized nearly 100 packs of ‘Pro-Active Dahi’ from the company’s manufacturing unit in Lethpora Pulwama.
Assistant Commissioner Food Safety in Pulwama, Suranjit Singh, told Kashmir Reader that the ‘Pro-Active Dahi’ manufactured by Khyber Milk at its factory in Lethpora Pulwama was found to be in “complete violation” of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA). The manufacturing date printed on the pack was four days ahead of its actual date of manufacturing, he said.
“The actual date of manufacture of the Dahi is August 27 but the company has printed September 1 as the date of manufacturing, which is a complete violation of the Act. There is provision of heavy fine up to Rs 3 lakh,” Singh said.
Singh said that food inspectors also collected samples of milk for detailed analysis.
“The company authorities can face arrest if any of the milk products are tested as unsafe in the food laboratory,” the assistant commissioner said.
In 2006, the company was indicted after traces of detergent were found in its packed milk, which was declared unsafe by the food analyst.
The samples tested by Referral Food Laboratory, Kolkata, had confirmed the presence of detergent in the milk and also showed the milk fat as being lower than the prescribed levels. According to the report, the sample also contravened the Food Safety and Standards (packaging and labelling) Regulations.
A court had held the company guilty and convicted its In-Charge Operations, Mohammad Shafi Ganie. The company was convicted under Sections 51, 52 and 59 of the Food Safety Standards (FSS) Act 2006.
A local court later imposed a heavy penalty on the company which was later set aside by Supreme Court in 2017 following an appeal by the the company.
FDA’s checks for formalin an eyewash, claim PILs
Panaji: Stating that inspections being carried out by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to check for formalin in fish are a mere eyewash, a petitioner, in his affidavit submitted to the high court of Bombay at Goa on Tuesday, attached a video taken by the media showing truck drivers handing over fish samples to the authorities (FDA) instead of random checks of samples which are supposed to be obtained by the authorities.
Petitioner Vithal Naik highlighted the issue of the authorities not adhering to the Food and Safety Standards Act, 2006, and to the government circular issued on August 2 while collecting samples for inspections.
Advocate Nikhil Pai, representing Naik, said the circular enabled import of fish through only two border check posts to inspect the presence of formalin and referred to press reports indicating that checks were not being carried out properly.
A third PIL, filed by Valmiki Naik on Tuesday, was tagged along with the other two PILs filed by Vithal and Shivraj Kamat Tarcar earlier.
Valmiki, in his petition, has prayed for an inquiry into the events of July 12 where the FDA said in the morning there was presence of formalin in fish beyond permissible limits, but issued a statement in the evening stating that it was within permissible levels.
Aug 28, 2018
How Safe Is Our Food?
People throng a street food market in Bengaluru
At a Glance
- Recent raids have found numerous instances of food adulteration and contamination across India.
- From formalin in fish to sulphuric acid in paneer, the findings have shocked the country and jolted authorities into action.
- Read on to know how to keep yourself and your family safe from the dangers posed by toxic food.
India has been battling food adulteration for a long time, but now it seems like things have reached a tipping point. A recent series of raids across Punjab has unearthed unprecedented amounts of spurious milk and dairy products in Patiala, Amritsar and Mohali, and has led to a major shortage of paneer (cottage cheese) in the city. The revelation that their beloved paneer might have ingredients like detergent and urea came as a huge shock. Punjab’s misery is shared by fish-loving Goa and Kerala, where the discovery of formalin (a preservative made with formaldehyde) in preserved fish has spooked buyers and generated massive controversy over the past couple of months.
With incidents like these adulteration is now firmly under the scanner of authorities, primarily the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
India’s war on food contamination
The discovery of formalin in fish started a chain reaction that led to a series of raids across the country. Large consignments of carbide-ripened mangoes were seized from markets across Karnataka. Adulterated ghee manufacturing units were discovered in Madurai where vanaspati diluted with cooking oil and ghee flavour were packaged as genuine ghee. Expired raw material was found to be used in Kashmir for making Eid sweets. Rumours of carcass meat of dogs and cats being sold with packaged meat proved true in Kolkata. Even the popular snack pani puri came under attack after surprise checks in Gujarat’s Vadodara and Ahmedabad cities found that the puri, water and chutney did not meet food standard guidelines.
In the wake of these devastating discoveries, authorities and lawmakers sprang into action. Across the country, state administrations have authorised raids on food vendors. Officials are being instructed to conduct stringent checks and impose fines on vendors selling low-quality or adulterated items.
A parliamentary panel, criticising the FSSAI over weak enforcement of food safety laws, has, among other directives, recommended that the food regulator be restructured, technically skilled people with domain expertise be hired on a full-time basis, and food safety departments be set up in every state.
For its part, the FSSAI, under pressure from the Supreme Court, proposed several amendmentsto the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006, including potential life imprisonment and a fine of Rs.10 lakh on those found indulging in food adulteration. The regulator also launched an ‘Eat Right’ movement to encourage citizens to make better choices around the food they buy and consume.
However the problem of contaminated food won’t go away overnight. So how can you do your bit to keep yourself and your family safe from adulteration?
While ordinary consumers may not have the means to conduct complex purity tests on food items, there are some basic precautions that we can all take to determine what’s safe and what isn't.
1. Check for FSSAI validation
You always look for a Hallmark on your jewellery, then why not a validation of your food? The next time you shop for food, look for an FSSAI license number, a detailed list of ingredients and their percentages, and the expiration date on the package.
Use your discretion when buying non-certified, loose food items from local stores. These may be cheaper, but can lead to hefty medical bills in the long run.
2. Don’t fall for manufacturers' 'health food' claims
Don’t fall in the marketing trap of the ‘healthier option’ or something that ‘tastes like sugar but is not sugar’. Ingredients used to create healthier options have been found to do more harm than the natural product. Look up the claims made by the manufacturers before buying.
3. Check the purity of your food
The FSSAI’s guide outlines ways to test the purity of every day food items from oils to grains, spices, fruits and vegetables and beverages right in your kitchen. Simply access the Detect Adulteration With Rapid Test (DART) Book that covers more than 50 tests that can be performed easily in any household.
Food contamination is not a new issue: it’s been around for as long as one can remember. However, even as criminals get smarter, consumers can stay one step ahead simply by being more aware of what they are putting on their plates.
Now, used cooking oil from eateries to be used for biofuel
Jaipur: The Biofuel Authority of Rajasthan has decided to find a solution about the used cooking oil in the restaurants of the city that can be really harmful for public health.
The department has decided to register a few firms that will collect used cooking oil from various food outlets, hotels and restaurants of the city and sell it to the biofuel manufacturers. This decision is taken after the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) notified that if the Total Polar Compound (TPC) in the cooking oil is more than 25%, it is not suitable for use.
However, used cooking oil is never discarded. Either it finds its way to the small eateries/ restaurants or road side vendors. Or it is disposed of choking drains and sewerage system. As per the data made available by the department, out of the 23 million MT cooking oil consumed in India, three million MT of this can be used for the production of biofuel.
The deputy CEO of Biofuel Authority of Rajasthan, Maninder Singh while talking to TOI explained that the department within a week is planning to call for registration of the interested firms for the collection of used cooking oils. “We want big food outlets in the city to be connected. The restaurants can sell the used cooking oil from their outlet to the firm registered for collection which will further sell it to the biofuel companies working in the city. Through this medium, the used cooking oil will not reach to the small restaurants and street vendors,” said Maninder.
The authorities will even ask the food outlets to file the amount of used cooking oil being generated so that the oil won’t be sold in the black market. Biofuel is a green fuel that can be used as a diesel for engines. With the population rising, an alternative has to be found for petrol and diesel. Used cooking oil can be used for bio-diesel which will be environmental friendly.
GOVT TO CHECK SWEETS QUALITY DURING FESTIVE SEASONS
In order to keep tabs on quality of sweets during festive seasons, the Delhi Government has decided to encourage more number of sweets sellers for registration and will also issue more licences ahead of the festive season.
“As the festive season is coming, a number of sweets shops will come up and the chances of selling of substandard sweets will also go up. To keep a check, we will be issuing more licences,” said an official from the Delhi Food and Safety Department’s Licensing unit.
The Food Department will also run a special campaign under which teams will be formed to raid and collect samples from shops across the city. To create awareness among people, the Department will publish advertisements regarding food safety.
“The demand for sweets products go up tremendously during this time of the year as the festivals are approaching. To meet the demands, sweetmeat shops will be mushrooming in the city,” he said.
In the past three years, the Department has also done various raids to check the food qualities. “In the past three years, 884 samples were collected from different parts of the city, of which 148 samples failed to match the standards. Actions were taken against those found guilty under Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006,” the official said.
The registration and licensing of the street food vendors is also being done, he said.
“We are encouraging more street food vendors for licensing. The Department also checks sample of these foods from time to time,” he added.
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