Apr 25, 2019
Food safety dept to crack whip on illegal ripening of fruits
Madurai: With mangoes started to arrive in the market, officials from food safety and drugs administration have increased vigilance to make sure that banned chemicals are not used to ripen the fruit. The continued use of chemicals such as calcium carbide and ethephon will have adverse effects on the health of humans.
Only ethylene gas is allowed for ripening the fruit, but it requires a chamber. According to the food safety officials, it will cost Rs 20 lakh to construct a chamber, which no trader in Madurai has. The 100-odd mango traders in the city have not even registered with the food safety department.
Designated officer for food safety, Madurai district, M Somasundaram said that he has instructed the officials to keep a close watch on the godowns where mangoes are stored. He expressed concern about traders not coming forward to register with the department. "We have issued notices to the traders under Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act. They have to registere with the department in 15 days. Otherwise they will face action including jail term up to six months and fine up to Rs 5 lakh," Somasundaram said.
Doctors say that traders have been widely using ethephon, which is a growth hormone that can disrupt the endocrine system in humans. It can also cause stomach upset, ulcer and vomiting besides skin problems like rashes and itching.
The food safety officials said that the naturally ripened mangoes start ripening from the interior part, whereas artificially ripened mangoes ripe in the opposite direction. Naturally ripened mangoes will have green patches on the outer surface, where artificially ripened fruits will be attractive.
Food adulteration cases on the rise in Trichy
Trichy: “Wash Thoroughly and Cook Thoroughly’ could be the mantra for all to stay healthy as the amount of adulterated food laced with harmful chemicals making its way to the market is on the rise in Trichy.
The food items range from everyday items such as vegetables, edible oil, milk, sugar and grains to ready-to-eat packed foods available in grocery shops. A team comprising a designated officer and 14 food safety officers recently found 84 samples taken from an outlet unsafe. The department filed 65 criminal cases against adulteration in 2018-19.
Among the samples found unsafe, peas remain on top of the chart. The dark green colour coated on peas will make it look like garden-fresh. "The normal peas will not be as dark as the chemically-soaked ones. Since many people think that it is fresh from its appearance, the traders have no inhibition to lace it with chemicals which can have carcinogens," designated officer of food safety and drug administration department Dr R Chithra told TOI.
As per the Food Safety and Standards Act of India, raw vegetables should not be coated with chemicals. However, the rules are not a deterrent to the traders from indulging in adulteration. The punishment for such offences as per the Act is also not stringent unless or until it leads to loss of life.
Out of the 65 cases filed by the department in Trichy, the court convicted those accused in 23 cases only. The total fine imposed was Rs 4,33,000.
The officials said that consumers’ tendency to prefer fresh vegetables and colourful groceries forces the traders to use artificial colours on the food items to make it ‘garden-fresh’.
A Suresh Alwar from Puthur in Trichy was of the view that both the consumers and the traders should take the blame equally. "Since people want the vegetables to glow, the traders are forced to satisfy the customers. Also, the traders make the consumers attracted to the products irrespective of the quality," he said. The food safety department has no powers to act against farmers on the presence of pesticides in the vegetables because of the immunity they enjoy in the Act.
The department has also filed civil cases for failing to provide the details of the manufacturer, expiry date and other information on the food packets and collected Rs 7,43,800 as fines.
Do you buy tea, vada during train journeys; Then you must read this
Tea container near toilet, ‘vada’ kept uncovered under train seat; Read the shocking truth
Kannur: The food from unhygienic conditions served in trains is once again making headlines. Few pics of food suppliers in train revealed that the tea container is placed near toilet and trays of snacks like vada is kept under the seat uncovered.
Train passengers are forced to purchase this unhygienic food by making payments. These disgusting scenes were captured from Train No: 16860 Mangalore-Chennai Egmore express.
The train departed from Mangalore at 6.50 in the morning. When the train reached Kannur, the catering supplier was seen sleeping on a berth in S1 coach. The tray of vada was kept under the seat without covering it. It contained over 200 vadas.
“The supplier who was speaking in Hindi said that the Vada was not for sale. But later he shifted all Vada to another supplier’s tray without wearing gloves. He took the tea container kept near the toilet," said a passenger named Sathyapalan from Cheruvathoor.
Some angry passengers questioned them but they managed to flee from the coach. When passengers who travel with season ticket followed them, these suppliers were found selling vada and tea in AC coach.
The passengers complained that though they informed the matter to railway officials, no action was taken against the suppliers.
No health officials to examine food safety in trains
Railway has decided to appoint 300 health inspectors to check safety of food served in trains and railway station platforms. With this decision, the authority planned to prepare a data bank by collecting food sample and details of catering owner and suppliers.
Food safety department official in each division will be in charge of this mission. The decision was taken in the meeting of food safety officials headed by Railway board chairman Ashwani Lohani.
But none of the officials intervened in the issue even after passengers came forward with a complaint.
Supplyco soon to roll out fortified rice
The direction by the Centre is to introduce fortified rice in at least one district in the state by December.
Thiruvananthapuram: To combat nutrition deficiency among children, the SupplyCo is all set to roll out micronutrient-fortified rice in the state for the first time.
The initiative is being launched on a pilot basis with the technical support of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Kerala Commissionerate of Food Safety. Iron, folic acid and Vitamin B12 would be used for fortifying rice in the state.
According to officials fortifying rice, which is the staple food of Kerala population, would help combat nutrition deficiency among children and adults alike.
The initiative is being launched in the wake of an order issued by the Government of India directing every state in the country to introduce fortified rice at Anganwadis.
In Kerala, there are around 33,115 Anganwadis. The direction by the Centre is to introduce fortified rice in at least one district in the state by December. Sources say that the project will take off by June.
According to a survey, in Kerala, around 19.7 per cent children under five years of age are stunted, while 15.7 per cent do not have the weight for their height, and 35.6 per cent children are anaemic.
A top official of the Commissionerate of Civil Supplies told DC that the Supplyco is planning to introduce fortified rice, oil and salt in the state very soon.
“We have initiated steps and talks are on to take the proposals to the next level. As a first step, we will be supplying fortified rice for Anganwadis under Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS). A micronutrient rice blender has been installed at our Taliparamba Depot, which would be supplied to Anganwadis for the midday meal,” said the official.
The Supplyco is also planning to expand the production of fortified wheat flour, which is supplied through ration shops and Maveli stores across the state.
“We are currently producing around 6,500 tonnes of fortified Atta every month. The demand is more, and we are planning to expand production,” the official said.
The initiative is being launched as part of the Poshan Abhiyan – the Centre scheme which aims at bringing down stunting of children in the 0-6 age group.
Apr 24, 2019
FSSAI for continuing ban on milk products imports from China
The ban on import of milk and milk products from the neighbouring country was imposed in 2008
India is the world's largest milk producer but imports milk-based products in small quantities
NEW DELHI: Food regulator FSSAI on Tuesday recommended that the ban on import of milk and milk products from China should be extended further till laboratories at ports are upgraded to test chemical content 'melamine'.
The ban on import of milk and milk products from the neighbouring country was imposed in 2008. The ban has been extended regularly and the latest one ends Tuesday (April 23, 2019).
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) reviewed the matter recently and decided to recommend a further extension of the ban on milk and its products shipped from China.
"Accordingly, the ban on import of milk and milk products, including chocolates and chocolate products and candies/confectionary/food preparations with milk and milk solids as ingredients from China may be extended until the capacity of all laboratories at ports of entry have been suitably upgraded for testing melamine," the FSSAI said in a statement.
The import of chocolates and chocolate products and candies/confectionary/food preparations with milk and milk solids as an ingredient are also barred.
India is the world's largest milk producer but imports milk-based products in small quantities.
Home-made chocolates can be unsavoury too
Udhagamandalam: Chocolate is a sweet temptation that transcends barriers of age and language, delighting the taste buds of one and all. The term 'melts in your mouth' may be a cliché, but nothing else describes 'Ooty homemade chocolates' better, as the taste lingers in your mouth long after the chocolates are gone.
Of late, chocolates have become a part of the products on sale in every petty shop in Ooty. Chocolates are made in bulk and supplied to retail shops. However, doubts have been raised about their quality, as mostly it is sold in loose. The dates of manufacture and expiry are not available. Food safety officials appear to be turning a blind eye to the issue.
“Home-made chocolate is available everywhere in the town. But it never carries an expiry date. And most of the shops sell chocolates in loose,” said L Lakshmikanth, a tourist from Hyderabad. “Unlike sweets, it’s not easy to find out if the chocolates are stale.”
A petty shop owner near Ooty market who sells home-made chocolates refused to disclose where he procured his produce.
It is claimed that King Star, started in 1942, was the only shop in the Nilgiris that made home-made chocolates after the British left the country. It was started by one J Thambusamy who worked with M/s Carter Confectionery in the 1930s. His cozy little shop in Commercial Street used to be a landmark.
Jai Jeyaraj, who belongs to the third generation running Jai's King Star says, “It is an age-old British formula rather than a legacy. Tools used for the trade are old roles and scutters made in England. Though I am a post-graduate, it is by choice that I have chosen the job of confectioner, which is in my blood. I follow the formulae of my grandfather Thambusamy.”
One can find a plethora of chocolates in his quaint little shop, be it the heart healthy bitter chocolate or the lightly laced mint chocolate, or his very own ‘chocolate fudge’ infused with almonds, pistas and various other nuts.
Jai takes no help during mixing and emulsifying the cocoa product, which is his trade secret. Fudges are derived from condensed milk and cocoa. The main ingredients used for the tasteful dark brown ‘shapeless’ sweet moulds are cocoa powder, powdered sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder, and vanilla. The magic behind its sinful taste is the ‘unrevealed complicated procedure’ it involves, says Jai.
Jai said quality will differ from shop to shop depending on the ingredients used. But the expiry of the commodity should be checked by the officials concerned.
Nandakumar, food security officer, said, “Chocolate, when it is sold loose, falls under the category of ‘prepacked- condition’ like sweets and savouries. When it is packed, packing regulations are to be followed. So, details of date of manufacture and 'best before' should be furnished on the packing.”
According to him, home-made chocolates are being prepared in a small level in houses. It has become a cottage industry rather than confectionery. "We insist the shopkeepers sell packed chocolates and we monitor the expiry if it is sold loose.
Apr 23, 2019
Stale food served in six Vizag restaurants
The stale food is being reheated and added with essences to conceal bad odours if any.
The officials collected six samples of food items suspected to be containing non-permitted colours for lab analysis. Cases are being booked by the department under appropriate sections under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
Visakhapatnam: The officials of vigilance and enforcement department have conducted surprise inspections on restaurants in different areas of the city along with food safety department officials on Monday.
According to Vizag Regional Vigilance and Enforcement Office (RVEO) deputy superintendent of police K. Sravani, stale and left-over food items were noticed in six restaurants – Rajugari Dhaba at Yendada, Prince Dhaba at PM Palem, Paradise Restaurant and Kamath Restaurants in Anandapuram, and Grand Alfa and Alifa Spices in Gajuwaka.
During inspections, the left-over food items of previous day were found preserved in freezers to sell on Monday. The officials also noticed using some non-permitted food colours for preparation food items. Out of these restaurants, Kamath has not even obtained license from food safety department for running the restaurant.
The officials collected six samples of food items suspected to be containing non-permitted colours for lab analysis. Cases are being booked by the department under appropriate sections under Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
Further, a case was registered against Alifa Spices Restaurant by the civil supplies officials for using domestic gas cylinders for commercial purpose and seized four gas cylinders.
“The stale food is being reheated and added with essences to conceal bad odours if any. This is harmful for health. Sometimes there are chances of food poisoning leading to severe consequences,” the DSP said.
Notice to five-star hotel for storing expired food items
Jaipur: Storage of expired food products at a five-star hotel on Delhi Road in Jaipur shocked the health department officials who conducted an inspection on Monday to check the quality of food items being served in the hotel.
The department also found other discrepancies such as food handlers who did not have any medical fitness certificates, mandatory under Food Safety and Standards Act, were working in the hotel.
The inspection was conducted by health department’s nodal officer (food safety) Dr Sunil Singh.
Dr Singh said that there was no declaration of monosodium glutamate (MSG) on the products. Products which have MSG should mention that it is not meant for use by below one-year-old children and pregnant women.
Moreover, another violation was that the hotel did not have any water testing report.
The food safety team recovered 23 litres of milk with expiry date of March 21, 16 packets of expired semolina, three packets of expired yellow curry paste, bread improver having packaging date of October 4, 2007 with ‘use before one year’ message, two expired soybean packets and two packets of expired pulses.
Also, veg and non-veg food items were found stored in the same deep freezer. Food licence and food safety display board had not been installed. Prepared foods did not have any proper tagging. The team also claimed that they found an open dustbin placed close to the cooked rice. Rose water for cosmetic use was being used in sweets to give it flavour.
The expired products were destroyed by the food safety team of the health department and the hotel was served a notice for the discrepancies.
Apr 22, 2019
ஜூஸ் கடைகளை கண்காணிக்க உத்தரவு
ஜூஸ் கடைகளை கண்காணிக்குà®®ாà®±ு அலுவலர்களுக்கு உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துà®±ை உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது.
தமிழகத்தில் வெயிலின் தாக்கம் நாளுக்கு நாள் அதிகரித்து வருகிறது. வெயிலின் தாக்கத்தில் இருந்து பொதுமக்கள் தங்களை பாதுகாத்துக் கொள்ள கூà®´், தர்பூசணி, இளநீà®°், à®®ோà®°், கருà®®்பு ஜூஸ், குளிà®°்பானங்களை வாà®™்கி பருகி வருகின்றனர். இதனால், சென்னை à®®ாநகர் à®®ுà®´ுவதுà®®் ஜூஸ் விà®±்பனை செய்யுà®®் கடைகளின் எண்ணிக்கை அதிகரித்து வருகிறது.
இந்நிலையில், ஜூஸ் கடைகளை கண்காணிக்க அலுவலர்களுக்கு உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துà®±ை உத்தரவிட்டுள்ளது. இதுதொடர்பாக, உணவு பாதுகாப்புத் துà®±ை அதிகாà®°ிகள் கூà®±ியதாவது:பழச்சாà®±ு தயாà®°ிக்குà®®் கடைகளில் பழங்களை சூà®°ிய ஒளி, வெப்பம் படாதவாà®±ு குளிà®°் பெட்டி அல்லது குளிà®°்சாதனப் பெட்டிகளில் வைத்திà®°ுக்க வேண்டுà®®். பழச்சாà®±ு, குளிà®°்பானங்களில் பயன்படுத்தப்படுà®®் நிறமூட்டிகள் தரமானதாக இருக்க வேண்டுà®®்.
à®…à®´ுகிய நிலையில் உள்ள பழங்களை பயன்படுத்தக் கூடாது. சர்பத்மற்à®±ுà®®் குளிà®°்பானங்களில் à®…à®™்கீகரிக்கப்படாத நீலம், ஊதா நிறங்களை சேà®°்க்கக் கூடாது என்பது உட்படபல்வேà®±ு உத்தரவுகள் பிறப்பிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர்கள் இவற்à®±ைக் கண்காணிக்க à®…à®±ிவுà®±ுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது.
Capital’s Butcher:The Bitter Truth and A Call For Redressal.
Despite being the capital city of Nagaland, there has always been an overwhelming sense of anxiety and disappointment on the purchase of butchered meat within the vicinity of Kohima municipality. Unlike other communities in India, these butchered items are the basic essentials and civic needs of the people of Nagaland. From the point of celebration of myriad events to the daily household dinner table, it would be hard to imagine a meal without a non-vegetarian item.But unregulated prices of the pork and the beef meat, and the tampering of the weighing machine, both analogue and digital, by the local butchers are so disappointing and disgraceful.There are instances where two butcher shop lying adjacent to each other charges different prices for the same product. Unlike other municipal district within the state where every part of the meat is assigned different prices, the capital city of Kohima seems to be the only municipality where not only the prices are unregulated but every part of the meat is priced the same. Be it loin, trotters, innards, head or skin, the citizens are made to pay the same price. The beef section is the most disappointing and annoying of all where the usual conversation starts with, ‘kon tu hardy lobo?’ Customers are made to choose from a pool of well-cleaned- off- detached bones without a shred of meat on it weighing at least half the weight of the purchased meat. Aren’t bones supposed to be sold attached to the meat in its original state?‘Being disappointed of buying meat’ is a phrase unheard of anywhere else except in the capital city of Kohima. And yet, the authorities pay no heed to the citizens concern.
While the prices are unregulated, the tampering of the weighing machine by the local butchers is rampant which aggravates the matter. Imagine the disappointment of being slapped on one side of the cheek and before the pain is abated, the other side of the cheek is slapped even harder. Such an act is simply but a robbery taking place on a broad day light under the very nose of the authorities concerned. It is a blatant disregard to a number of penal laws as well as other bye-laws that governs such activities. And yet the authorities give an indifferent shrug to these illegal activities having full knowledge of it. Furthermore, almost 80% of the butcher shops are in a very unhygienic, dilapidated and deplorable condition showing no sign of improvement over the years. Besides, there are instances where stale meat are often jumbled with the fresh meat and sold to the customers.There are many aggrieved but silent citizens who have been a victim to such heinous act of the butchers.One cannot imagine the amount of damage it would do to one’s health on consumption. These butchers have been on the loose for far too long that they don’t seemto be deterred by any punitive measures. Being the capital and the only district chosen under the smart city mission to act as a role model of development for other districts, Kohima Municipality should at least set some hygienic norms and standards so that the remaining districts might inculcate and adhere to it.
Bringing dhaba food from highway to city
HIGHLIGHTS
Around 80% of the top 100 Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) chains of the world hail from the US while India which is 4 times US in terms of population has no brand to boast of being anywhere close to the Top 100 QSR chains.
Hi-Tec City: Around 80% of the top 100 Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) chains of the world hail from the US while India which is 4 times US in terms of population has no brand to boast of being anywhere close to the Top 100 QSR chains.
Indian outlet owners don't want to set scalable processes and they cut corners in hygiene to make some quick bucks and have no control on raw material sourcing. They also largely do not follow the standards set by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India.
Norfest, a city-based startup, wants to change it all. It has come up with a QSR chain to bring the flavours and cuisines of the north Indian dhaba food from the highway to Hyderabad.
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"With McDonald's having around 35,000 outlets across the world and around 400 in India, I haven't seen any Indian food outlet chain growing in India. We see McDonald's and another couple of American outlets in every mall here. So, the concept is to bring the Dhaba Food from highways to cities, club it with cafe culture and create Fusion Dhaba," said Prateek Kumar, Founder & CEO, Norfest.
"It had always been in the background to solve some global problem with a scalable model and solution. We were sector agnostic and could have been any industry. Each one of us individually was trying separate ventures before we clubbed together for our common interest in food and beverages. As we went through various industries scouting for problems and solutions food came out to be the top most priority for us.
Hence, we decided to create a highly organised, hygiene-focussed affordable premium scalable QSR chain which would be present in major clusters of India via its three formats and hybrid channel basis such that majority Indians may have access to hygienic food," added Prateek sharing his idea to start this modern chain of Dhaba.
Prateek who was already working in Hyderabad with a leading private banking institution was coming out of its bifurcation mode and poised for high growth. The time was appropriate for them to start with and hence the other co-founders (Arjun and Nikhil) relocated from Delhi to work full-time in the venture and registered the partnership firm in October 2015 with the first outlet coming live in April 2016 in SLN Terminus, Gachibowli. It started with a team of one founder and two co-founders along with five kitchen operations team. Now, they have 60 employees in total including a group head chef and a group general manager.
Currently, they have 6 outlets across Hyderabad in Gachibowli, Hi-Tec City, Madhapur, Punjagutta, Dilsukhnagar, and Chandanagar and are planning to make it 25 by the end of 2020 and are in talking terms to start their outlet's chain in Chennai, Bangalore, and Delhi by the end of May 2019. Their aim is to set 200 to 300 outlets in India by the end of 2025 and to be in top 100 QSR chains of the world.
They operate in three formats Dark Kitchen Model, Service Outlets and 60-80 seater restaurants and currently serve 1,500 customers daily across Hyderabad. They were a part of the Startup Leadership Program (SLP) batch of 2018-19 and are recognised as a startup by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and Government of India (GOI) since 2018.
Apr 21, 2019
Pune: Do not collect food from eateries violating norms: FDA warns online good companies
Pune FDA has recently taken action against restaurants and food delivery apps. The FDA officials have sent notices to around 150 restaurants running without proper license.
'In the action taken by the department, around 150 were found running without proper FDA license, as per Food Safety and Standards Act,' said Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner FDA, Pune.
Deshmukh said, 'The eateries in Pune were illegally serving food to various online application-based delivery firms. We have issued notices against them and asked them to compile.'
'At the same time, we have also warned online food supplying apps like Zomato, Uber Eats, Swiggy and Foodpanda not to collect food from restaurants which are violating FDA norms,' added Deshmukh.
According to FDA officers, for the last two months, they have noticed violations in the quality and hygiene by online food delivery apps.
Akash Patil, a resident of Pune said, 'FDA should make it compulsory for the online food aggregators to maintain the health record of each food delivery boy, to avoid the spread of infectious diseases. FDA should come with more stringent action and people should be made aware.'
Apr 20, 2019
How reliable are food expiry labels?
The truth about expired food and the piles of waste it generates.
Packed food in the US have several types of labels, such as “expiration, use by, best by, sell by, best if used by” which creates lot confusion as to when the food item will actually expire.
London: Have we been wasting perfectly good food all along? A year-long experiment conducted by a US grocer showed that expiry dates are probably wrong.
Normally, one would never eat yoghurt that expired six months ago. But Scott Nash, founder of the Mom’s Organic Market chain of grocery stores in US whipped up a smoothie with it. He saw that it did not have any mould or smell and decided to use it. “I drank and waited,” he wrote on his blog. And nothing happened.
When he realised that going past the expiry date hadn’t spoilt the food, he decided to experiment with more food items. Nash never liked wasting food and thought that by documenting his experience, he could reduce food wastage on a larger scale.
For his next food experiment, he made a batch of pasta. For that, he used cream that was four months past its expiration date, an artichoke and lemon pesto that expired seven months ago, chicken broth more than three months past best-before, meats that were over two weeks old and some tortilla chips that were nearly a year old. Despite using all ‘expired’ ingredients, nothing happened.
This raised a lot of relevant questions: Were the expiry dates wrong or have we been fooled into throwing out good quality food this whole time? Should we all be eating ‘expired’ food then, questions The Guardian.
Packed food in the US have several types of labels, such as “expiration, use by, best by, sell by, best if used by”. It creates lot confusion as to when the food item will actually expire. In the UK, it carries only one label “use by” or “best before”.
Nash also discovered that non-food items like soap, toothpaste and such too have no real expiration date. A specialist from the US Department of Agriculture’s food safety and inspection service said that if packaged goods are kept in good condition, then its contents are safe to eat well past its expiration date, maybe even forever. The can/jar should not be swollen, rusting, dented or leaking. But the FSIS’s website states that there are limits to how long canning will preserve food.
A joint report brought out by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Harvard Law School in 2013 states that a shocking 40% of American food goes to waste each year and it is largely due to the ambiguous labelling on food containers. In the UK, when the label says ‘best-before’, it means that food may not taste or look as good, but it is still safe to eat. But it must not be consumed beyond the ‘use-by’ date.
But a research conducted in the UK said that people threw out nearly 720m eggs last year due to the labelling confusion. The UK has also seen an upward of 7m tonnes a year wastage of food, which could be avoided with a better understanding of the dates.
Andrew Parry of Wrap, a waste reduction charity, said that the date is decided upon a lot of factors such as where and how it is made; how hygienic the space in which it is made is; how consumers will treat it. A degree difference in the fridge temperate can also reduce the shelf-life of the item.
Parry, along with the British Nutrition Foundation and the FSA are categorically telling consumers to not go past the use-by date. Several food-poisoning causing pathogens like salmonella and E-coli can develop in the food items. Even if these pathogens grow to dangerous levels, the food usually looks and smells fine.
Apr 17, 2019
Water units sans licence flourish in Vijayawada
VIJAYAWADA: The business of drinking water in Vijayawada has of late (with the temperature touching 40 degree Celsius mark), attained huge proportions with many unauthorised water plants flourishing in the city. But, surprisingly, the plants pose no threat to business of authorised plants. Almost all households in the city and the adjoining areas, prefer to buy canned water for drinking purpose instead of boiling or filtering tap water.
According to sources in Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), about 350 unauthorised water plants are running in and around Vijayawada.
“Though many plants in the city are functioning without proper licence, the food department cannot take action against them as they do not sell water under the nomenclature of packaged drinking water. They sell drinking water under various other names which do not fall under the category of packaged water. Hence these plants don’t come under our purview directly,” assistant food safety controller N Purnachandra Rao, said.
He also said that the department can take action only if anyone files a case against the water plants. At present, he said that there are only 10 authorised licensees in Vijayawada. The latest licence was given to H2O in Auto Nagar in March.
Meanwhile, the owner of an authorised plant said, “Even though many unauthorised plants are functioning in the city, they do not pose any major threat to our business as the demand for drinking water is very high. Despite stiff competition, we are not suffering any loss.”
The water plants have to undergo a thorough process to get licence. Initially, they have to take permission from the local authorities. Beginning with taking permission for electricity connection, they have to get labour licence and certification from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). Only after undergoing these stages, can they get the licence from the FSSAI.
Is the water sold by unauthorised plants safe for consumption?
When asked, Mrudula, a teacher in Guru Nanak Colony, said, “We have been buying water cans since my childhood. Why complain against them if no one in my family has ever become ill by drinking the canned water?”
Several environment reports and environmentalists suggest that the water supplied in these cans is injurious to health in the long run. “Consumption of water from these cans does not show its effect immediately but ruins one’s health gradually. People are unaware of this fact and thus the business of unauthorised plants never runs into the loss. Though plastic is a renewable resource, it can be reused or recycled only up to a certain limit,” Bengaluru-based environmentalist Nandi Durga Ballu Gowda said.
Artificially ripened fruits destroyed
AHMEDABAD: With the summer setting-in, the consumption of milkshakes and smoothies is bound to go up. As a precautionary measure, the flying squad of the health department of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), on Monday, conducted random checks on commercial establishments selling fruits.
AMC flying squad officials destroyed 130kg stock of artificially ripened fruits that were unfit for human consumption.
That apart, civic authorities also seized a stock of some 400 sachets of ethylene which is used for artificially ripening various fruits, especially mangoes. According to the guidelines issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act, ethylene cannot be used for artificially ripening fruits.
Civic authorities raided some 15 commercial establishments in Shahibaug, Sarkhej, Bodakdev, Nikol, Behrampura, Saraspur, Gota and Naranpura areas of Ahmedabad, among others. Samples of suspicious food items were collected from 10 establishments, said a senior AMC health official.
Apr 16, 2019
Apr 15, 2019
Fat mimicking products set to replace transfat
Official sources said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has agreed to help the state introduce fat mimicking products to cater to the food business industry in the state.
Thiruvananthapuram: In an effort to curb trans fat consumption in the state, the Kerala Commissionerate of Food Safety (KCFS) along with the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) is gearing up to introduce fat mimicking products in the state to replace Vanaspati/Margarine - which is widely used by eateries and bakeries for preparation of proprietary food items especially sweets and deep fried food.
Official sources said that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has agreed to help the state introduce fat mimicking products to cater to the food business industry in the state.
"Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils are the main culprit and source of trans fat. We have organised brainstorming sessions for food business operators in the state, and we did a live demonstration on how to minimise the trans fat levels in the food products. They are ready to avoid vanaspati/margarine if we can provide alternatives which would give the same quality and texture for the food products," said the official.
Interestingly, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and health authorities have already started collecting samples of food products sold in the state to find the level of trans fat.
The FSSAI has given strict direction to every state to bring down the Trans fatty acids content in edible oils and vanaspati to 2 per cent from the current 5 per cent in the state.
"Finding out the level of trans fats is very necessary. FSSAI officials have come down to the state to collect samples. The state food safety authorities had collected samples of around 150 food products in the state for checking the trans fat levels. Many of the products exceeded the trans fat levels given on the product label," said the official.
Vital Strategies, a New York-based global health organisation, has given training for the food safety officers here for collecting trans fat samples. "Several samples were collected from food chains including Chicking, KFC, and packet foods including cookies. But we don't have an accredited lab facility for taking legal action against violators," said the official.
Apr 13, 2019
Rs 7.5L worth gutka products seized from truck
Trichy: An election flying squad seized banned gutka products worth Rs 7.5 lakh from a mini container truck near old Palpannai here on Friday.
The team led by Tahsildar Renuga intercepted a vehicle during a vehicle check as a part of the model code of conduct for the general elections. The team searched inside the container and found Gutkha items packed in 50 bags. All of them were banned stuffs in Tamil Nadu. The driver of the truck was identified as Kalidass, 33, from Tiruppur. The team handed over the truck loaded with Gutkha and the driver to Gandhi market police. The preliminary investigation brought to light the Gutkha was transported from Bengaluru. The total weight of the consignment was 30 kg.
The driver feigned ignorance on the place of delivery of the consignment. He told police that he was asked to follow a motorcyclist to reach the place to deliver them. As the biker sped away as he noticed the vehicle being searched.
The food safety department officials took up the enquiry to get a clue about the network behind illegal trade as the department has the major role in combating against the invasion of banned Gutkha into the state. Designated officer (DO) of food safety department, Trichy R Chithra visited the police station. “The police told me that they will take care of the case and the investigation,” Chithra told ToI in the evening.
The police sources said that the driver maintained that he had no idea about the sender of the consignment. He told them that he took the vehicle from Hosur only before which it was driven by someone else from Bengaluru to Hosur. As the police could not ferret out anything about the network, they registered a case against him and arrested him.
Tea Board goes for food safety push to uplift quality
Kolkata: The Tea Board of India has issued a circular, directing all tea manufacturing units in the country “to strictly comply with the FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) norms and get their end product tested in any NABL-accredited lab” to ensure that the quality of brew sold in India and exported abroad is never compromised.
The Tea Board circular adds: “The test reports should also be submitted to the Board’s zonal office for our information...however, all manufacturing units (both estate factories and bought-leaf factories) are hereby informed that Tea Board Quality Control Laboratory has received NABL accreditation…”
A top Tea Board official reasoned that the circular is needed owing to the continuous revision of the FSSAI Act, 2006, and its amendments in 2018. “As more chemicals and new parameters have been included under the FSSAI Act, our duty was to inform and educate the existing as well as new players in the tea production business,” added the Board official. The FSSAI test for the tea sector includes pesticide residue and heavy metal analysis.
Though small tea growers, who are always criticized for low quality control of their produce, do not come under the purview of FSSAI as primary producers.
The small tea growers’ (STG) body, Cista, welcomed the latest Tea Board circular for compulsory testing of tea for twice a year. Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty, president, Cista, said: “STGs should also strictly follow FSSAI and Plant Protection Code (PPC). We have to ensure our customers that we are producing clean, pure and environment-friendly tea. We have already requested Tea Board to reach out to everybody for training-cum-awareness campaign at the grassroot level.”
The Indian Tea Association (ITA), the premier tea producers’ body, claimed that all its member-producers have always complied with FSSAI testing norms. “However, the Tea Board’s initiative is commendable as it would make the buyers more confident about Indian tea.”
The Tea Board is also organizing a ‘Young Entrepreneurs’ Meet’ for drawing a future roadmap for the morning beverage on April 24. The meet will discuss the steps “needed to be taken to bring quality produce to the market and discouraging the rampant production, sales, export and marketing of low quality tea.
Apr 11, 2019
Apr 10, 2019
No food product can be labelled ‘Fresh’ or ‘Natural’ without permission: FSSAI
FSSAI's new regulation on food packaging
According to a media report, two researchers from the Armed Forces Medical College, Pune studied 1,200 Indian food advertisements and observed that nearly 60 per cent of such advertisements are misleading, because of the flowery language and false claim they make. They neither follow the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) rules nor the codes of the Advertising Standards Council of India. To keep a strict check on the food advertisement world, FSSAI has laid down a new regulation. Read to know more about it.
From July 1, food brands will have to procure permission from FSSAI to use such words such as pure, natural, fresh, and authentic while describing products. They will also have to carry a disclaimer about the use of words under the latest FSSAI mandate.
How the categories will be defined?
According to FSSAI, companies can refer to a particular food as ‘fresh’ only if they are unprocessed except for being washed, peeled, chilled, or trimmed. The company needs to make sure that the product is safe and above-mentioned processes doesn’t alter out its basic characteristics. Also, the word “natural” will be permitted only for food derived from a plant, animal, micro-organism or mineral. The end product must not have any external ingredient added to it.
What’s more?
The latest regulation also states that companies and brands using words that mean fresh, natural, pure, etc. – will have to give a clear disclaimer stating “this is only a brand name or trademark and does not represent its true nature.”
What’s the punishment for violation?
Words like ‘organic’, ‘genuine’, and ‘real’ on food products generally attract customer and in case they are not authentic, it creates a false impression for customers and FSSAI as a regulatory body. Keeping this in mind, the new regulation states that in case the brand fails to do so, then the manufacturers will have to pay a fine of Rs. 10 lakh for the violation.
Need for such amendments
According to an official statement released by FSSAI, these regulations have been refined with a perspective of establishing fairness in claims and advertisements of food products and make food businesses accountable for it.
Verdict
Now, next time when you are out for shopping, remember to check the claims mentioned on the food packet and in case of any doubt, social media is always at your rescue to raise the voice.
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