Jun 13, 2019
Gurgaon to get Haryana’s first clean street food market
Come August, Gurgaon will be home to the first clean street food market in the state. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has partnered with Gurgaon’s local administration to set this market up in Sector 38. The market, to be built like an open-air food court, will have about a hundred vendors wearing identical uniforms and name tags. The whole market will be cleaned and the vendors will also be trained in how to deal with the customers in a polite and friendly manner. All vendors will wear gloves and the way the food is prepared will be monitored by the FSSAI.
The agency says they will ensure the market is up to the standards of safety and hygiene laid down by them. KK Sharma, the nodal officer for the project, tells us, “We have completed the survey and pre-audit for the market and even trained a hundred vendors in public dealing. We had selected two places for the markets- one opposite Medanta in Sector 38 and the other in Sushant Lok but due to non-cooperation from the traders in Sushant Lok, we are only going ahead with the one in Sector 38 for now.” Interestingly, the Gurgaon city administration had earmarked this market in Sector 38 as a model street food zone in 2015 but the project never took off. This clean street food zone is expected to be operational in two months. The authorities will then start looking for another location as well.
Food Safety Deptt declares snack Fun Fine Puff ‘unsafe’
Food Safety Department declared snacks “Fun Fine Puff” Brand Name “Parul Fun Fine Puff” “unsafe and misbranded,” under the provisions of Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 Rules and Regulation, 2011.
The department issued the notice after they lifted the sample of the snacks Batch No: 696, which was declared by their laboratory as “Unsafe and Misbranded”.
The department has advised the public in general and the Stake Holders in particular in their own interest to discontinue use / stop sale and supply of above food product.
Over 50 people fall ill after consuming food at religious event
Aurangabad: In a suspected case of food poisoning in Beed, several people, including men, women, and children experienced uneasiness in the wee hours of Wednesday after consuming contaminated food on Tuesday night. The affected people were attending a religious event organised in Govindnagar, Dhanora road of Beed city.
Around 50 people have been admitted to Beed district hospital. “We are coordinating with the FDA as well as medical authorities so that an appropriate action is initiated in this incident. We are also trying to ascertain if the incident is a result of carelessness or it is case of sabotage,” Beed superintendent of police G Sreedhar told TOI.
A detailed report of the incident has been sought from the area police station. Besides, the special branch has been directed to collect more details of the incident.
A family residing in the locality had organised a ‘Jagran Gondhal’, a religious event that is typically organised post-marriage. A goat sacrificed for the event was cooked and served as prasad along with bhakri, rice, and a vegetable dish. Almost half an hour after consuming the food at around 11.30 pm, the guests started feeling uneasy. Minutes later, they felt nauseous and suffered from diarrhoea.
Sensing trouble, they were rushed to the hospital. Doctors who attended them said that the condition of some patients had worsened due to serious loss of fluid. However, they were on their way to recovery by morning and are currently kept under observation.
On learning about the incident, senior officials from the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) rushed to the spot and collected food samples which have been sent for chemical analysis at Aurangabad.
When contacted, FDA’s food safety officer Rushikesh Marewar said, “Following the SOP, we have collected the samples of mutton gravy, Bajra bhakris, rice as well as a brinjal dish that were part of the menu at the event.”
Sources from FDA said that considering the gravity of the issue, the authorities at the lab have been requested for getting the food samples tested on priority. “Based on the findings, a call about further action against the organisers and hosts of the event would be taken,” a senior FDA officer said.
Jun 12, 2019
Food safety dept bans blended oil for false label
Kochi: Food safety department has banned the manufacture and sale of a brand of blended edible oil, made by mixing palmolein and coconut oil in the ratio of 80: 20, but marketed as coconut oil. A statement from assistant commissioner of food safety said the product Coco Ross blended edible vegetable oil manufactured by Pan Biz Corporation based in Pattimattam was being fraudulently marketed as coconut oil.
As per Food Safety and Standards Authority of India ( regulations, every package containing an admixture of edible oils shall carry the following label declaration immediately below its brand name: Blended edible vegetable oil. The font size of the label declaration shall not be less than 5mm. The font size should not be less than 10mm if the edible oil package is more than 1 litre.
Though the product was a blend of two vegetable oils, the product was allegedly being sold at the price of coconut oil by the manufacturers.
50% packaged water spurious, no record of source, RTI query reveals
Activists believe this supply comes from exploiting groundwater and that prevalence of unlicensed bottling plants indicates how rampant the water mafia is in the city.
Activists believe this supply comes from exploiting groundwater and that prevalence of unlicensed bottling plants indicates how rampant the water mafia is in the city.
Of the 15 packaged drinking water samples tested by the food safety department (FSD) in the city between 2016 and 2018, seven were found to be misbranded, shows data shared by the Food Safety Officer, Gurugram. But none was found to be unsafe for drinking, officials said, adding that all bottling plants found to be selling spurious drinking water during that time were sealed.
This information, received in response to an RTI query filed by city-based activist Aseem Takyar in April this year, also revealed that the department has no record of the supply for the illegal or unlicenced bottling plants that are responsible for the sale of spurious water.
Activists believe this supply comes from exploiting groundwater and that prevalence of unlicensed bottling plants indicates how rampant the water mafia is in the city.
Stating that the issue with packaged drinking water is one of market regulation and that it does not necessarily pose a health risk for consumers, Gurugram food safety officer KK Sharma said, his department carries out inspections and testing of packaged drinking water upon receiving complaints or tip-offs about unlicenced bottling plants.
This involves checking the product’s compliance with the FSS Packaging and Safety Regulations, 2011, and the FSS Food Products and Additives Regulations, 2011, both formulated by the Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
“The last time we had a case of unsafe drinking water being sold by an unlicenced bottling plant was back in 2013, or 2014. Strict action was taken against the violators at that time,” Sharma said.
Another food safety analyst, on the condition of anonymity, said that the samples tested between 2016 and 2018 against FSSAI rules were found to be fit for human consumption.
Sharma explained that a ‘misbranded’ sample is one that violates labelling and packaging rules.
“These samples are spurious from a regulatory point of view, in contravention of the FSS Packaging and Safety Regulations of 2011. Mostly, we find products which do not bear the FSSAI logo, or mandatory instructions such as ‘crush bottle after use’,” he said. In other cases, bottles may not contain a ‘best before’ date, the manufacturing address might be missing or illegible, or the product might not bear the words ‘packaged drinking water’ as required under the FSSAI rules. “What some violators also do is sell bottles under the brand of ‘natural mineral water’, which is an official term,” said the anonymous food safety analyst.
An ‘unsafe’ drinking sample, on the other hand, is one which does not conform to the FSS Food Products and Additives Regulations of 2011, which prescribe safety standards for proprietary food products in India.
“If we find that there is a high quantity of a particular element which makes the product a health risk, we immediately seal the plant and attempt to recall products from the market,” Sharma added.
While the FSD maintains that such rampant circumvention of FSSAI rules is not a ‘public health risk’, activists said it sets a poor precedent for enforcement of food safety norms, which is in itself a health risk.
“The prevalence of unlicensed bottling plants, as revealed by the FSD, shows how rampant the water mafia is. The food safety department might not have detected unsafe water in the last two years, but with such loose regulation, one cannot guarantee that all packaged drinking water in the city is safe for consumption,” local activist Takyar said.
Mobile food testing lab flagged off
Vehicle will tour various parts of Cuddalore district till June 29
A mobile food testing van of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has started touring the district from Monday. District Collector V. Anbuselvan flagged off the Food Safety on Wheels at the Collectorate complex here.
An official said the van was procured by the government from the Centre to strengthen the food testing system.
The van has a state-of-the-art lab, fully equipped to conduct tests for common adulterants in milk, water, edible oils and other items.
The vehicle will tour various parts of Cuddalore district till June 29, an official said. The mobile lab will also be able to collect samples and generate instant reports of the analysis while on the field.
People can send their complaints on adulteration to the Food Safety Commissioner through WhatsApp at 94440 42322.
The complaints received will be forwarded to the respective districts for further action, the official added.
Jun 11, 2019
Multiplex samosa-supplier gets closure notice from FDA, Pune
Officials found that the establishment was not following norms prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
Food and drug administration (FDA), Pune, issued a closure notice to MK Enterprises at Kharalwadi, on Saturday.
Food and drug administration (FDA), Pune, issued a closure notice to MK Enterprises at Kharalwadi, on Saturday.
MK Enterprises supplies samosas to Inox, PVR, and E-Square multiplexes in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Officials found that the establishment was not following norms prescribed by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner FDA, Pune, said, “In the surprise raid conducted by the department, it was found that MK Enterprises was using oil for more than three times for the preparation of samosas.”
“Such samosas were sold at Inox, PVR, E-Square multiplexes in Pimpri-Chinchwad,” added Deshmukh.
“MK Enterprises failed to maintain proper hygiene and cleanliness in the kitchen. Our officers found there were no proper health records of employees working in the kitchen,” he said.
Think twice before nibbling on that exotic street delicacy
Unsafe water and ice found being used at cool drink stalls; most people seem oblivious of risks of eating cut fruits and vegetables kept in unhygienic conditions
The sun is about to set over the Kozhikode beach on a weekend day, and there is a steady stream of visitors strolling on the sandy shores.
“Shall we try a glass of ice urathiyathu?” a young woman asks her husband.
“Oh no, I don’t want to fall sick,” pat came the reply as she was led swiftly away from the mobile cool drink stall.
The crowd around the street vendor, however, kept growing. Standing next to the stall, K. Rajesh, who works for a private firm in the city, is dipping a spoon in the glass containing ice urathiyathu, a drink made of crushed ice, vegetables and fruits, topped with peanuts. “Here you get both sweet and spicy varieties,” he says recommending the drink.
“But don’t you care about the water quality?” “Well, not very sure, but it tastes good,” he says.
Local street foods such as ice urathiyathu are hot favourites with young people here despite the possible health risks from the use of contaminated water or ice blocks. People also blink at the health risks of eating slices of salted cut fruits and vegetables available at wayside stalls.
T.K. Prakasan, health inspector (project in-charge) of the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation, points out that many street vendors are found using ice blocks bought from cold storages that preserve fish for long. The ice may contain formaldehyde which will cause serious health issues if it enters human body. The water being used to make fruit juices is not usually filtered either.
Many hotels and restaurants in the city too are found using contaminated water. A number of jaundice cases were reported from among those who used water from the canteen of a well-known hospital in the city recently. The corporation authorities got the canteen closed after it was found that unhygienic water was being used there. The District Medical Officer has already issued alert against jaundice. Another possible threat is cholera.
The corporation is now insisting that hotels and restaurants check on the quality of water they use on their own and produce certificates along with applications for fresh licences.
People have been advised against eating cut fruits or vegetables kept in unhygienic surroundings.
K.V. Baburaj, chairman of the Standing Committee on Health, said the Health section of the corporation would continue raids on restaurants and food joints in the coming days to ward off the possible threat of disease outbreaks during monsoon.
In many places in the city, the Kerala Water Authority’s drinking water pipes are laid next to drainages.
There is a possibility of drinking water getting mixed with sewage. “Recently, coliform bacteria was found in water samples collected from a hotel at Palayam where drainage and drinking water pipe run next to each other. All such hotels have been asked to install water filters,” Mr. Prakasan said. Restaurants using open well water should ensure that water quality is checked every six months at the Centre for Water Resource Development and Management, KWA lab, or the Regional Public Health Laboratory. If water is sourced through tankers, the hotel or restaurant owner should produce a certificate proving its quality.
The Health authorities are also keeping a watch on ‘fuljar soda’, a carbonated drink, now a sensation among youngsters.
A few days ago, they raided a food joint on the beach where the drink was found being prepared in unhygienic conditions. “We have informed the Food Safety Department that the soda and ice being used at the joint were unhygienic,” Mr. Prakasan added.
The food stuff you may find on the street may look exotic, but ensure that it is healthy too.
Food wrapped in newspapers a deadly cocktail of chemicals
The new regulation of the FSSAI prohibits the use of newspaper and recycled plastic for wrapping, storing, transporting or dispensing food items and products. This new regulation will come into force from July 1.
Ludhiana, June 9
Eating out may prove to be costly in terms of health if you happen to consume the food that is wrapped in old newspapers. Printing ink contains harmful pigments, additives and toxic chemicals.
Some eateries serve hot, oil-dripping puri/ chana on old newspapers that are used as plates. Bhel-puri, kulcha-chana are wrapped and packed in newspapers. In small hotels, newspapers serve as kitchen napkins and are used as absorbents. This is despite the warnings by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) about the ‘slow-poisoning’ by cancer-causing agents lurking in newspaper ink.
According to the FSSAI, the presence of chemical contaminants and pathogenic micro-organisms in used newspaper pose potential risk to human health. The sick and the elderly and also the people with compromised immune systems are at a greater risk of developing health complications, if exposed to food packed in such material.
Consumers, meanwhile, continue to be blissfully unaware that they are consuming a deadly cocktail of chemicals and additives along with the food they eat with relish.
“On Sundays, we go out for eating. Usually, we prefer puri-chana that is freshly prepared. The eating joint we visit uses newspaper as plate to serve the puri-chana. Even in case of sandwiches, newspaper is used as packaging material,” said Achla, a city resident. She said she and her family were not aware that the practice of using newspaper as packaging material was harmful.
“We did not know that newspaper ink, if consumed through food, is carcinogenic. In fact, at home also, we use newspapers to pack oily food, little realising that it could be a health hazard,” she said.
Jun 10, 2019
Concerns arise over quality of tanker water in Chennai
CHENNAI: Lack of uniform policy to check the quality of water that is supplied by the private water tankers has left residents with no choice but to consume contaminated water.
Private water tanker companies are tapping water from unidentified and abandoned sources compromising on quality. In the Keerapakkam stone quarry, a 22-year old murdered body of a man found four months ago. Now, private tankers are pumping water from the same quarry and supplying to households. Even from a quarry near Thiruporur, a body was fished out in January and tankers pump water from there too.
As per rules, the legal responsibility to check the quality of water lies with Metrowater and they act only if there are complaints. The local bodies and food safety department, under the Public Health Act, support Metrowater by checking water contamination regularly. In March, Greater Chennai Corporation had picked up 621 samples and found 36 unfit for consumption.
“The problem is that they check for quality only when we complain,” said S Gopi, secretary of Subramania Nagar Civic and Welfare Association in Kodambakkam. He added, “We are worried about the quality and don’t use tanker supply for drinking or cooking purposes. We use this only for washing and bathing. Also, the situation is so bad that we somehow adjust as we don’t want to irk the private water supply companies.” Metrowater and public works departments formed a committee in October 2018 to regulate private water tankers.
“A draft report has been submitted to the chief secretary and we await corrections after which it will be passed in the assembly. These norms will ensure water is drawn only from permitted locations, treated before supply, rules for the permit and other details. A team would be formed to monitor the implementation,” said a senior metro water official.
Gopalakrishnan V, a civic activist, said, “Many gated communities treat the water in their RO plants before use. And other residents have no choice but to boil before use. Also, tanker owners won’t tell us where they pumped the water from and say they cannot give any certification on the quality of water,” he said.
The officials at the public works department, under whom the lakes and quarries come, were unavailable for comments. Some quarries also belong to industries and revenue department. Concerns arise over quality of tanker water.
Thriving street food business throws up new challenges
PUDUCHERRY, 07/06/2019: ( For UT Matter ) There is a growing concern among residents as well as health authorities about the mushrooming of wayside food vendors without any valid registration and food safety measures. Photo: T.Singaravelou | Photo Credit: T.Singaravelou
Reuse of edible oil and reckless dumping of solid waste pose a health hazard; penalties levied by municipal officials on vendors have so far proved ineffective
The booming business of street food is causing concern among the health authorities in the Union Territory. Illegal small roadside eateries have proliferated on almost all roads in the city.
Call it the trickle effect of tourism or changing food habits of residents, good patronage is drawing more people into the business. Of late, barbecue too has found a place on the streets.
As business multiplies, health authorities are concerned about hygiene and the added pressure on the solid waste management system in the town and suburban places.
“It is a livelihood issue for a large number of poor people. So, no authority will curb the business interest of a street vendor. But at the same time, it is the responsibility of health authorities to ensure that the food sold in these eateries is as per standards. We can see even people cooking food close to storm water drains,” says Kumar, a resident of Lawspet.
The food vendors hold a different view on the hygiene. “How many of you people have seen the way food is cooked in a hotel? At least, we cook the food in front of the customers. If we sell contaminated or adulterated food we will be the losers,” said Mubarak, a resident of Bussy Street.
Health risk
I. Danaraju, food safety officer, urban area, said the department was aware of the growing number of vendors cooking food on the streets. “It is not correct to say that the food cooked by vendors is unhygienic and those in the hotels is hygienic. But one worry is that the food prepared in an open street where there is high vehicular movement brings with it health concerns. Also, the re-use of oil is a concern, including in middle level hotels,” he said.
Ravichandran, food safety officer, rural area, said recently they received a specific complaint from residents of Kirumampakkam about food being prepared on top of a drain. The department had to intervene to make the owner take corrective steps, he added.
From the point of view of safety, an awareness programme was held for the vendors at the Street Food Festival organised by the Local Administration Department.
Mr. Danaraju said the need of the hour was to make these entrepreneurs get registered and sensitise them to the food safety aspect. “Now, none of them have valid identity cards. We can’t penalise them if something goes wrong,” he added.
He stressed the need for a coordinated effort by the food cell, municipality and police to check the quality of food being sold in all eateries, including those sold by vendors. The Food Safety wing did not have sufficient manpower to enforce the rules. It would need the support of the municipality and the police, he added.
For the municipal authorities, street food kiosks pose a challenge as they generate large quantum of solid waste. Even after being given strict instructions to place bins for customers to dispose plates and food waste, many owners did not comply with the rule. “We have started imposing fine. On an average, fines were imposed on around 1,000 people a month. The fine amount ranges from ₹30 to ₹500,” said R. Kathiresan, health inspector, Puducherry Municipality.
Commenting on the growing number of food vendors, Pratha Kumar Shetty, professor in the department of food science and technology in Pondicherry University, said: “It is known that these roadside eateries are low on safety and hygiene, selling food of very low or unsure quality. However, this does not deter the consumers from flocking them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Especially, quality of oil and repeated and unscientific ways of using oils makes these foods bad for health.”
Concurring with his views, K. Peter Prasanth Kumar, professor, department of paediatrics, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, said the traditional processing methods were not used in the preparation, inappropriate holding temperature and poor personal hygiene of food handlers were the main concerns.
The food was not protected from flies and dust. Infections are not uncommon.
Though most of the illnesses caused by contaminated food are self limiting and treatable (acute gastroenteritis), there are instances that can become life threatening. Lack of running water or potable water makes food safety conditions at these locations untenable.
“Street food is here to stay. Vendors should be given some basic training and certification on how to prepare and store them safely. The need of the hour is to understand the operations of our street vendors and develop infrastructure needed to maintain quality,” he said. Stressing the need for maintaining a balanced approach, Prof. Shetty said: “A balance needs to be struck between the health of the consumers and employment of the persons owing the business.”
It is a herculean task to strictly enforce the high standards in this sector. The only way forward was to give regular training and orientation to these establishments and slowly bring them on a kind of formal or semi formal framework through pragmatic simple registration process by the local administration giving training and awareness. There have been efforts in different places by designating them formally as street food zones.
Bangkok in Thailand is one of the best examples of implementing the clean street food programme. “Today, they boast one of the scientifically managed street food cultures in the world. This has improved their tourism by changing the public and world’s perception of street foods,” said Mr. Shetty.
Town vending panels
Municipal Commissioner Arjun Ramakrishna said a town vending committee would be formed soon to identify vending zones where the food vendors could be relocated. The municipality would provide them with all necessary infrastructure, he added.
Akshaya Patra midday meal row: Is food without onion and garlic not nutritious?
Akshaya Patra is an organisation which is feeding over 1.76 million children daily in India in order to promote education and eradicating hunger.
The midday meal scheme is often credited for drawing children to schools and also for cut in dropouts, but it has had its share of controversies. The latest row to hit the programme surrounds Akshaya Patra, a charitable organisation run by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), otherwise known as the Hare Krishna movement.
Akshaya Patra claims that it serves 'wholesome' school lunch to over 1.76 million children in 15,024 schools across 12 states in India.
Accusation
It found itself in the midst of a controversy after an article in a national daily claimed that school-children in Karnataka were not happy with the food provided by the organisation as it lacked garlic and onion.
The criticism
Following this, many people bashed Akshaya Patra for forcing its own food preference on the children, while others raised questions about nutrition. Some even claimed that food was being wasted as the children were not eating the meals served by Akshaya Patra.
"The size of a programme doesn't prove that it's working. Children are not eating enough food because onions and garlic play a major part in Indian food. Due to this, there is large amount of wastage of food," claimed Twitter user Sunil Revathi.
Akshaya Patra's answer
However, the claim was countered by TV Mohandas Pai, who is on the board of the trustee of Akshaya Patra.
"You are lying: any data you have to make this statement?" Pai shot back.
Some supporters of the organisation pointed out that food without onion and garlic could be quite nutritious and since it is a charitable organisation, it should reserve the right to decide what it serves as long as it does not violate the norms for midday meals laid down by the government.
Akshaya Patra said that it follows all the norms laid down by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.
"We have regular quality audits, food safety audits etc. We have given our blood, sweat, tears and personal monies for our children: we follow norms of MHRD; for this selfless service over 20 years we are being abused!," Pai said.
"We also have 17 ISO 22000: 2005 certified kitchens, which are testaments to our priority of protecting the health of children," the official handle of the organisation tweeted on Friday.
Hot, nutritious meals like this are made fresh daily.
Donate $20 and feed a child for an entire school year.
After the controversy, many social media users came forward to offer donations to the organisation.
The call for more donation to the organisation was given by author Anand Ranganathan.
"The only way bigoted, illogical, anti-science, Hinduphobic vested interests can be silenced, is when you put your money where your mouth is. Please donate to @AkshayaPatra. And do reply with a confirmation that you have done so. Very grateful. Thanks," he said in a tweet on Friday while giving a link to the donation page of the organization.
The support
While Ranganathan did not reveal the exact amount of money collected after his call, he did mention that the organisation received 510 donation in just 11 hours and the average donation size was Rs 3,800 - which amounts to Rs 19.38 lakh - in addition to Rs 2 lakh in one single donation.
"Just crossed 510 donations in 11 hours. Average donation size now Rs 3,800 excluding the one single donation of Rs 2 lacs. Please keep them coming. Thank you so much everyone, but above all, thank you @AkshayaPatra. You are an inspiration. And the pride of India," Ranganathan said.
Food Safety Day in Kohima
KOHIMA: Under the theme “Food Safety, Everyone’s Business”, the Food Safety Day was celebrated for the first time in Kohima on June 7. Speaking on the occasion, Minister of H&FW, S Pangnyu Phom said, “We are observing the first-ever Food Safety Day in Nagaland along with the rest of the country. Food is one of the essentials of life.
The paramount requirement for the nation is the availability of safe food in sufficient amount but equally important is the fact that the food we eat, must be free from contamination or adulteration so that the consumption does not cause any ill effects on health.”
In his keynote address, Principal Secretary-cum-Commissioner, Food Safety Commission. H&FW Department, Himato Zhimomi said that food safety is everybody’s business and it is very important, particularly for the young, because they are the most vulnerable group in the society, stated a DIPR release.
Jun 9, 2019
FSSAI Develops First State Food Safety Index to Measure States’ Performance on Five Parameters of Food Safety
The first-ever World Food Safety Day, declared by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2018, was kicked-off by Hon’ble Union Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan and Minister of State, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) by recognizing the remarkable efforts of States, Food Businesses and individuals in promoting food safety. The theme for this day was ‘Food Safety, everyone’s business’. Since food touches the lives of everyone, everywhere, a wide cross section of stakeholders ranging from professionals to Government food safety officials, Development Partners, food business operators gathered together to collectively take a pledge to promote food safety for all 130- crore citizens of the country.
The Prime Minister, in his message recognized that “Food safety is of prime importance for the well-being and health of our nation as well as its people, particularly women and children. The Government is focused on implementing the latest and best standards of food safety in the country.” 
In an effort to galvanize states to work towards ensuring safe food for citizens, FSSAI has developed the first State Food Safety Index (SFSI) to measure the performance of States on five parameters of food safety. The Hon’ble Union Minister felicitated seven leading States/UTs based on the ranking for the year 2018-2019for their impressive performance. These were Chandigarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. The categories included Human Resources and Institutional Arrangements, Compliance, Food Testing- Infrastructure and Surveillance, Training and Capacity Building and Consumer Empowerment. States such as Bihar, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh followed close behind.
Following the certification of several ‘Clean Street Food Hubs’ in several cities based on third-party audits and training of street food vendors, now Golden Temple Street, Amritsar has been also recognized as a ‘Clean Street Food Hub’.
To recognize efforts at the community level to promote food safety, FSSAI has also declared seven campuses such as those of universities, schools, colleges/institutes, workplaces, defence/paramilitary establishments, hospitals and jailsas ‘Eat Right Campus’. Based on a five star-rating by compliance to a set of well-defined benchmarks on food safety and hygiene, food waste management, healthy diets, promotion of local/seasonal food and awareness generation, the following campuses were recognized for their exemplary standards-IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Roorkie, LBSNAA, Mussourie, Unilever and Wipro, Bengaluru, HCL Noida and Genpact, Gurugram.
FSSAI has instituted the ‘Eat Right Awards’ to recognize the contribution of food companies and individuals to empower citizens to choose safe and healthy food options, which would help improve their health and well-being. The Expert Selection Committee, shortlisted 13 awards out of a total of 123 applications in five categories, namely, Food Products, Food Services, Organized Retail, Innovative Solutions, Safe Food including Testing, and Community outreach and Engagement. Out of a total of 83 applications, 14 awards were given for individual contribution made by young chefs, professionals and media influencers.
An innovative solution to take food safety to schools, called the ‘Food Safety Magic Box’ was launched. This do-it-yourself food testing kit comprises a manual and equipment to check for food adulterants, which schoolchildren can use in their classroom laboratories. This kit is also useful for frontline health workers. Twenty kits were distributed to Primary Health Centres and Government schools in Delhi with the support of the Delhi Food Safety Department.
Another new-age, hand-held battery operated device called ‘Raman 1.0’ from Oak Analytics, India was also launched. This device performs rapid detection (in less than 1 minute) of economically driven adulteration in edible oils, fats and ghee. The equipment tests more than 250 samples per battery charge, collects and stores data on the cloud using a smart device. This is the first of 19 such equipment and methods that have been provisionally approved by FSSAI for strengthening the food testing infrastructure in the country.
To commemorate 150 years of the Mahatma’s 150th birth anniversary, FSSAI had launched the ‘Swasth Bharat Yatra’ on 16th October 2018, World Food Day to spread the message of ‘Eat Right India’. This pan-India cyclothon, the world’s largest for a public health cause, culminated in New Delhi on 27th January 2019. In over 100 days, more than 21,000 volunteer cyclists and 10 lakh participants covered over 20,000 kms, reached over 2100 places and touched the lives of 2.5 crore people, creating awareness on safe & healthy diets.
A commemorative volume to capture the journey and impact of this yatra was also released by the Hon’ble Minister as a tribute to all the stakeholders who contributed to make this movement a huge success. Further, the promo of a 10-part series on the yatra, shot as a food travelogue showcasing key messages of the ‘Eat Right India’ movement was also released. This series is being telecast on Living Foodz Channel every Saturday and Sunday at 9:30 pm since May 25th and is being telecast from 1st June onwards on Zee Business Channel, at 5:30pm every weekend.
Gandhiji was the inspiration for the Swasth Bharat Yatra thanks to his non-violent ‘Satyagraha’ to mobilise people for a common goal. His philosophy on food and health is relevant even today. He advocated a simple, whole-foods, plant-based diet, regular fasting and physical exercise for health benefits. To symbolize the ongoing journey towards good health, a statue of ‘Gandhiji on a Bicycle’, the first of its kind, was also unveiled by the Hon’ble Ministers.
A unique endeavour to mobilize people across the country for safe and healthy food by leveraging the local network and chapters of professional associations such as IDA, NSI, IMA etc., called Network of Professionals in Food and Nutrition (NetProFaN) has been created. A manifesto for NetProFaN was released, encompassing the vision, key objectives, thematic areas of action, activities to be carried out at the ground level and guidelines for functioning.
The manifesto also outlines a matrix for earning points to get recognition for efforts at the chapter and individual levels. To support these efforts as well as to make knowledge on safe and healthy diets accessible to people at large, FSSAI’s online Web-resource Library was also launched. This library hosts informative and interesting videos on topics such as food adulteration, eating a balanced diet, fortified foods etc. This can be accessed at www.fssai.gov.in/videolibrary.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Guest, Hon’ble Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Dr. Harsh Vardhan remarked, “I appeal to all people to adopt Gandhiji’s messages of eating less, safe, healthy, simply, locally and sustainably by reducing food waste and sharing surplus food. I request you all to take this pledge in your own local communities to take this message forward. While FSSAI has done great work, it needs to be used optimally and turned into a Jan Andolan. If we can get India to vote, we can get India to Eat Right.”
Hon’ble Minister of State, Shri Ashwani Kumar Choubey congratulated FSSAI and quoted scriptures, “Clean food will result in a clean body, mind and thoughts and deeds. For this people’s awareness about safe and healthy food and participation is critical to make an impact on society.”
The Secretary, Health, Mrs. Preeti Sudan, congratulating FSSAI on accomplishing so much with limited resources and manpower, said “The online resource material, training modules and Eat Right Toolkit have actualized my vision to enable our ASHAs and Anganwadi Workers, the generals in the field to take the message of safe and healthy diets to each and every family at the village level.”
The Chairperson, FSSAI, commented, “The real tribute to the Mahatma lies in ensuring that safe food becomes the right of every individual and not a privilege of a few.”
The CEO, FSSAI pointed out, “FSSAI is a very different kind of organization compared to food regulators across the world. First, we have brought food safety and nutrition together in the national health agenda. Second, we focus on consumer empowerment. Third, we work through partnerships and convergence.”
Thus, with a series of useful resources and initiatives for people and incentivizing safe food practices through multiple recognition systems at the state, city, community, organizational and individual levels, FSSAI has raised the bar for food safety in the country and strives to achieve more as we progress further.
Students sensitized on healthy food habits on Food Safety Day
Madurai: Food safety officials from Madurai district sensitized school students on the best eating practices on Friday, the first World Food Safety Day after the united nations general assembly has decided to observe it on June 7 last year.
With the rise of eating fast food and packaged food habits amongst children, the programme aimed at urging them to get rid of unhealthy food habits, the officials said. Besides students, teachers were educated about healthy substitutes and were asked to sensitise the students. Food safety officials led by designated officer Dr M Somasundaram took part.
Instruction on healthy and unhealthy foods were put on display in the programme where students were introduced to healthy substitutes to packaged foods. At the end of programme, children took pledge against eating unhealthy food.
“Both the health minister and health secretary have zero-tolerance for adulteration and banned additives like coloursin food items,” Somasundaram said.
He said they insisted students not to fall prey to colourful food as they can cause various health problems. A model snack box, consisting traditional food was handed to each student.
Jun 8, 2019
Make 'eat less, eat right' campaign a mass movement: Vardhan on first-ever World Food Safety Day
NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan appealed to people on Friday to make the "eat less and eat right" campaign a mass movement to ensure even one grain of food is not wasted and everyone has food to eat.
"Food is everyone's responsibility. Let us pledge to not waste even one grain of food, and ensure that in our own personal capacities and in our institutions, contribute towards food security. This will help to eliminate poverty, hunger and malnutrition," Vardhan said at the first-ever World Food Safety Day celebration organised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) here.
He said the "New India" vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi includes health, social security and nutrition.
Modi has acknowledged the 'Eat Right Movement' of FSSAI in his 'Mann ki Baat' radio address.
Vardhan said health is not only absence of disease and infirmity but the presence of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-ness.
The minister also unveiled a statue of 'Gandhiji on a bicycle' installed at the FSSAI complex.
"As we commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Bapu, the statue symbolises his journey towards good health and shall constantly inspire people for emulating his good health practices," he said.
He further said Mahatma Gandhi's philosophy on food and health is relevant even today.
Vardhan said the people should adopt Gandhiji's messages of eating less, eating safe and healthy food, and also reducing waste and sharing surplus food.
"I request you all to take this pledge in your own local communities to take this message forward. It needs to be used optimally and turned into a jan andolan (mass movement)," he said.
Minister of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey said that clean food will result in a clean body, mind and thoughts and deeds. For this, people's awareness about safe and healthy food and participation is critical to make an impact on society.
Vardhan also felicitated seven leading states/UTs based on the ranking for the year 2018-2019 for their impressive performance. These were Chandigarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.
States such as Bihar, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh followed close behind.
In an effort to galvanise states to work towards ensuring safe food for citizens, FSSAI has developed the first State Food Safety Index (SFSI) to measure the performance of states on five parameters of food safety.
The categories included human resource and institutional arrangements, compliance, food testing - infrastructure and surveillance, training and capacity building and consumer empowerment.
Following the certification of several 'Clean Street Food Hubs' in several cities based on third-party audits and training of street food vendors, the Golden Temple Street in Amritsar has been recognized as a 'Clean Street Food Hub'.
Vardhan also launched a new-age, hand-held battery-operated device, called 'Raman 1.0', for rapid detection of economically driven adulteration in edible oils, fats and ghee.
The equipment tests more than 250 samples per battery charge, collects and stores data on the cloud using a smart device. This is the first of 19 such equipment and methods that have been provisionally approved by FSSAI for strengthening the food testing infrastructure in the country.
An innovative solution to take food safety to schools, called the 'Food Safety Magic Box' was also launched by Vardhan. This do-it-yourself food testing kit comprises a manual and equipment to check for food adulterants, which schoolchildren can use in their classroom laboratories. This kit is also useful for front-line health workers.
Twenty kits were distributed to primary health centres and government schools in Delhi with the support of the Delhi Food Safety Department.
Want to know what you’re eating? It’s all in the label
Reading food labels can tell you at least 13 things about a food product.
On World Food Safety Day, officials stress importance of package information
Reading food labels could tell you at least 13 things about a food product. Most importantly, food labels give information on when the product was manufactured, its ingredients and best before date to ensure its safety.
As the city celebrated the first World Food Safety Day on Friday, food safety officials and consumer activists raised the need for consumers to read food labels and ensure that the food is safe, at an event organised for students by the Food Safety Department, Government of Tamil Nadu and Consumers Association of India (CAI), Chennai.
A. Ramakrishnan, designated officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety Department, Chennai, said as a consumer, one should read the food label that would provide 13 points about the product, including ingredients list, nutritional value, preservatives/flavour agents, manufacturer address, net weight, batch number, date of packing or manufacturing, best before date, how to use and FSSAI license number.
Safe to eat?
Nirmala Desikan, chairman of CAI, Chennai, said the five pillars of food safety were maintaining personal hygiene, maintaining cleanliness of kitchen and its surrounding, checking for adulteration and spoilage and reading food labels.
She added that according to WHO, every year, one in 10 persons fell ill by eating contaminated food, and such food was the cause for more than 200 diseases.
G. Santhanarajan, director, CAI, put forth the need to check for logos on food labels.
Among others, K. Vanaja, Additional Commissioner and Director, Tamil Madu Food Safety Department, was present.
Food that makes you ill
Unsafe food is responsible for millions of sick days
Every minute, 44 people — more than 23 million per year — fall sick from eating contaminated food, and an estimated 4,700 lose their lives, per year. This is according to a review of the most recent available data entitled The burden of foodborne diseases in the WHO European Region, and it represents only the tip of the iceberg: the true number of cases is unknown.
These findings are presented on the occasion of the first-ever World Food Safety Day on June 7. “Every country around the world, from small to big, from rich to poor, has suffered from foodborne illnesses, and Europe is no exception. The scale of the challenge posed by foodborne disease is striking, indicating the importance of preventing and mitigating risks to food safety,” says Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe.
“Food is a global affair with a food chain that wraps around the planet. A simple meal can easily contain ingredients from multiple continents and its safety depends on international collaboration. World Food Safety Day is an unprecedented opportunity to call on governments to strengthen the systems that guarantee safe food, across sectors and across Europe and the world.”
Unsafe food is responsible for millions of sick days, and can sometimes lead to lasting or severe illness, hospitalisation and even death. The overall burden of foodborne disease in the Region is estimated to be 413 020 disability-adjusted life-years, meaning years in which a person’s life is affected by a disease.
A variety of bacteria, viruses, parasites and chemical hazards have potentially serious consequences not only for human health but also for the economy and environment.
Golden Temple street gets ‘clean food hub’ tag
Chandigarh: Punjab has been awarded a certificate of achievement in state food safety index, conferred by the Union health ministry, while the Golden Temple street has been declared as ‘Clean Street Food Hub’ by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
K S Pannu, commissioner, food and drug administration, Punjab, said the certificate has been given to Punjab for achieving the status as one of the states which are catching up in state food safety index (SFSI) in recognition of their overall performance on various parameters of food safety during the assessment period between April 1, 2018 and March 31, 2019.
Pannu said the food and drug control administration, Punjab, identified the street food hub near the Golden Temple for ‘clean street food hub’ award. “Tourists from India and abroad visit the Golden Temple on a daily basis, so it was decided that food vendors on this street need to be trained and hygiene standards should be upgraded,” said Pannu.
Initial survey was conducted by Food Safety Awareness and Training Organization (FSATO) and district administration in March 2019 which was followed by a pre-audit survey of the street by food drug administration, Punjab, along with other bodies.
In the pre-audit, many deficiencies and gaps were identified and corrective measures were taken to fill the gaps. According to the final audit report submitted to food commissioner, Punjab, it was recommended that food street near the Golden Temple meets 85% of the specified benchmarks of basic hygiene and sanitary requirements and hence can be awarded ‘Clean Street Food Hub’ tag.
State bags food safety certificate
Chandigarh, June 7
Punjab bagged the “Certificate of Achievement” on World Food Safety Day today at a function organised by the Health and Family Welfare Ministry in New Delhi, an official press release said here.
The Commissioner, Food and Drug Administration, Punjab, KS Pannu, said the certificate was given to Punjab for achieving the status of one of the states which were catching up in the State Food Safety Index in recognition of their overall performance on various parameters of food safety during the assessment period April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019. The Golden Temple Street, Amritsar, has been declared as the state’s first “Clean Street Food Hub” by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
IIT Gandhinagar becomes India's first educational institute to receive Eat Right Campus Award from FSSAI
The award will be conferred by FSSAI in New Delhi on June 07, 2019, on the occasion of World Food Safety Day. IITGN received a five-star rating in the Eat Right Campus audit, for ensuring food safety and promoting healthy eating.
On the basis of final audit score, the institute is certified as 'Eat Right Campus' with five star rating.
The Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) has become one of the first educational institutes in the country to receive the Eat Right Campus Award from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). As per reports, IIT Gandhinagar Director, Prof Sudhir K Jain will receive the award for the Institute on June 07, 2019 at a programme organised by FSSAI in FDA Bhawan, New Delhi, to commemorate the first World Food Safety Day declared by the United Nations General Assembly.
IITGN's initiative:
IITGN had taken initiative in all of their mess, food joints and canteens within the campus. All these are licensed/registered by the Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) Gujarat, trained by the Food Safety Awareness and Training Organization (FSATO) an empanelled training partner and audited by DNV GL Business Assurance India Pvt Ltd (DNVGL), an empanelled third-party auditing agency.
Basis of audit:
The audit is done through a checklist based on five parameters. On the basis of final audit score, the institute is certified as 'Eat Right Campus' with a five-star rating.
- Compliance to food safety and hygiene
- Healthy diets
- Food waste management
- Promotion of local and seasonal foods on campus
- Promotion and awareness of food safety and healthy diets in and around campus.
Announcing the 'Eat Right Campus' award to IITGN, Pawan Agarwal, CEO, FSSAI, said, "Access to an adequate amount of safe and nutritious food is the key to sustaining life, promoting good health and preventing foodborne diseases. Eat Right Campus initiative of FSSAI is a powerful tool to enable the administration/management to ensure safe and wholesome food for both the residents and visitors to their campus."
"I am glad to see this award going to IIT Gandhinagar and other such institutes across the country. This will help in encouraging other campuses to adopt and promote healthy food practices on campus for the wellbeing of their students and the community, he added."
Upon receiving this special award, Prof Sudhir K Jain, Director, IITGN, said, "The Institute has always followed the core policy of students-first. All of our efforts and initiatives focus on the wellbeing and betterment of our students, faculty and the community. The conscious efforts made by the institute to ensure healthy, nutritious and safe food for all is one of them."
"The 'Eat Right Campus' award by FSSAI is a welcome recognition to the dedicated efforts of our entire team of students, faculty, staff, vendors and vendors' staff. We are grateful to all of them for their commitment to ensuring healthy and hygienic food on our campus," he added.
Eat Right Campus Initiatives by IITGN:
IITGN ensures high standards for the quality of food served at its dining halls and the other eating joints. Appropriate measures are taken to maintain cleanliness and hygiene. All the food joints of the campus have valid FSSAI license.
The institute focuses on healthy food habits; the menu served in the mess is tailored every month by the student mess council for a balanced diet that provides the body with essential nutrition.
Besides, all the food joints use fortified foods such as double fortified salt, rice, wheat flour, oil and milk, to further enhance the food nutrition.
IITGN promotes local and seasonal foods by the inclusion of such vegetables and fruit items in the monthly menu. For unused excess food, IITGN has collaborated with Robinhood Army (a volunteer organization) to collect and distribute the leftover food for the needy.
The Institute has also coordinated with Bio Diesel Association of India (BDAI) for collection of used cooking oil from the eating joints. The used waste food is sent to the in-house bio-gas plant for decomposition to make manure. Awareness programs to reduce food wastage are done regularly.
A notice board mentioning the amount of daily food wastage is displayed outside the dining hall to create a sense of responsibility among the community.
Nagaland pledges to work for food safety
Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Minister, S Pangnyu Phom speaking at the Food Safety Day observation in Kohima on June 7.
Kohima | June 7
Nagaland today took a pledge to work towards ensuring that all people, especially the poor and most vulnerable, have access to safe and nutritious food.
This pledge was taken during the observance of the first ever World Food Safety Day here today at the Directorate of Health & Family Welfare under the theme ‘Food safety, Everyone’s business.’
Further, the gathering at the programme also vowed to promote safe food, and to prevent, detect, and manage food borne risks.
Addressing the function, Nagaland Health & Family Welfare Minister, S Pangnyu Phom said that the paramount requirement for the nation is the availability of safe food in sufficient amount. He pointed out that the Government of India had passed a comprehensive integrated food law called the Food Safety and Standards Acts 2006.
He informed that the existing state public health laboratory in Kohima is now fully renovated and upgraded with sophisticated high-end equipments, and that a Food Safety on Wheel initiative was also launched for on the spot testing of any food item. It was this team which detected formalin in fish and other chemicals in fruit products last year.
Himato Zhimomi, Principal Secretary cum Commissioner, Food Safety Commission, H&FW Department said that food safety is everybody’s business and very important, particularly for the young as they are the most vulnerable group.
It is estimated that because of food safety issues and other expenses that arise, about $95 billon of food productivity is wasted.
Himato deliberated on some parameters about food safety regarding how the department will govern food safety, and partnerships between the state, market forces and the public to make the state healthier. He also urged for zero tolerance towards food waste in private and professional lives.
Dr. Vikeyie Losu, Principal Director & Addl. Commissioner Food Safety, H&FW stressed on three major health challenges faced by the world; the first challenge is diseases caused by food contaminated with bacteria, viruses, parasites or toxins; the second being non-communicable diseases and the third challenge malnutrition.
He mentioned that all these challenges can be prevented by securing food safety, good nutrition and healthy eating habits.
Losu added that the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India has tried hard to shift the enforcement and detection based approach to a more self regularity paradigm which can be achieved through cooperation and partnership among all stake holders.
He also said that the State Food Safety Team has worked relentlessly to bring about changes in Nagaland. “Food safety is a shared responsibility between government agencies, the food producers, sellers and buyers, therefore everyone should make sure that healthy and nutritional food are being distributed,” he stressed.
FBOs running without licenses cautioned
DIMAPUR, JUNE 7 (MExN): Food Safety Commissioner, I Himato Zhimomi today cautioned those Food Business Operators (FBOs) in the state running/operating their business without obtaining/renewing FSSAI License and Registration from the food Safety Authority.
In a press release, Zhimomi informed that Section 31(1) of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006 states that “No person shall commence or carry on any food business except under a license”. He notified that FBOs include bakers/sellers, catering agents of all festivals/occasions, canteens and cafeterias of all government or private offices, colleges, hospital boarding houses / hostel serving food, department food article suppliers etc. The Food Safety Commissioner therefore asked all FBOs in the state, irrespective of urban or rural based FBOs, to obtain or renew their FSSAI license/registration from their respective Food Safety Cells, CMO Office of the districts on all office workings days.
Anyone operating Food Business without FSSAI licence or registration will be penalized up to Rs 5,00,000 and imprisonment up to six months under Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, it cautioned.
Jun 7, 2019
Food Safety pitfalls
Added to these, scarcity of resources at the household level makes food safety promotion a daunting task.
The United Nations General Assembly in December 2018 resolved to celebrate June 7, 2019 as the first ever World Food Safety day. Given that food safety is the key to achieving Sustainable Develo-pment Goals (SDGs), the United Nations through World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) intends to promote food safety as an important measure in national development. The theme for this year’s celebrations is “Food Safety: Everyone’s business”. When it comes to food safety we tend to see it as a manufacturers’ credence or regulator’s duty to ensure everyone gets safe food. It is important to realise that food safety is determined not only by how food is produced and delivered, but also by issues on the “demand side” — how consumers acquire, cook, store, and consume foods.
Why a new perspective?
Most cases of food-borne illnesses are preventable if food protection principles are followed right from production to distribution. However, this does not fully address consumers’ behaviours that could also introduce risks.
For instance, the WHO campaign — Five keys for safer food — that is extensively used for spreading hygiene messages among food manufacturers and handlers throughout the world, promotes personal hygiene, adequate cooking, avoiding cross contamination, keeping foods at safe temperatures and avoiding foods from unsafe sources.
Such campaigns may, however, result in limited protection unless food safety is also understood and promoted at the household level. Cultural, behavioural and contextual forces shape specific practices along the continuum — from food purchase to preparation and consumption to storage of leftovers for subsequent consumption.
In India, diverse food habits, practices and centuries-old traditions co-exist alongside the changes brought in by globalisation. Added to these, scarcity of resources at the household level makes food safety promotion a daunting task.
Food laws and regulation - Should we think beyond?
The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has been spearheading efforts to tighten domestic food laws. While the regulatory and administrative framework is critically important, we also require effective interventions focused on practices at point of consumption or even in home kitchens. Food-borne illnesses continue to pose public health challenge in India, but most of them go unrecorded. Such routine food-borne illnesses may relate to a host of practices at individual and household levels — how food is procured (what quantity/quality and from whom), stored (with/without refrigerator), prepared and consumed.
Individual and social determinants — do they hold the key?
Unlike in many western countries, in Indian homes, semi-processed primary agricultural produce and raw materials are procured from the market before they are further processed and made suitable for cooking at home. In many rural and economically deprived homes, these are often bought in small amounts, usually from local vendors and not in packed forms. When food is sold loose, adulteration is a major food safety concern. Adulteration may be intentional or unintentional (a result of incidental contamination). In both forms, the quality or the nature of the food is altered and could even become harmful. All of us have encountered food adulteration at some point in our lives.
However, this problem is so normalised that we do not consider it to be a health hazard. And lack of awareness of existing food quality control regulations, has further accentuated the problems. Thus, there is a need to raise awareness about food safety issues to empower individuals to hold regulators accountable for enforcing rules against adulteration. But adulteration is only one aspect of food safety.
Hand washing, a behaviour closely linked with food safety, is routine in India, and it is often customary to wash hands in many cultures before handling food.
Studies at National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) show that a large proportion (90 per cent) of household food preparers wash hands before cooking, handling or eating food. Other activities that involve exposure to dirt, like mopping or dusting and handling cattle, are also usually followed by hand washing.
However, normative hand washing does not guarantee that foods are not contaminated, as a great deal of hand washing is largely symbolic and done without using soap. Our studies show that approximately 75 per cent of individuals wash hands only with water and often do not use soap. Some research studies say that soap can reduce the risk of diarrhoeal diseases by 42-47 per cent. The customary practice of hand washing can be strengthened by encouraging routine and universal use of soap.
Availability of safe drinking water is an important factor that is essentially beyond the control of the common consumer, but affects food safety. Many households in India do not have access to piped water. For many episodes of diarrhoeal diseases among adults and even deaths among children below five years of age, lack of protected water is an important reason apart from other factors such as sanitation and environmental conditions.
The emphasis on clean surroundings and personal hygiene has clearly gained traction with initiatives under Swachh Bharat Movement and these efforts and reiterative messaging should go on.
Cultural sensitivity - why it is the need of the hour?
Inadequate cooking, cross contamination and storage temperatures are also important food safety risks. Studies show that foods cooked thoroughly, not stored for too long or thoroughly reheated are safe for consumption. NIN’s studies in the past have revealed that as many as 80 per cent of households in India prefer to cook food twice a day, and more than half prefer to serve/consume food hot. It is also typical to reheat leftover foods before consumption, but such reheating is not thorough enough to ensure safety. An area of potential intervention is education regarding the importance of thorough reheating.
In many Indian homes, the domestic hearth is an area of purity and sanctity. However, with about 30 per cent of Indians living in poverty, most homes do not have a separate designated kitchen, such that living, cooking and eating occur in a common place or a verandah (corridor).
Studies also clearly indicate that in situations where cooking fuel is difficult to use, households may, in a bid to save energy, prepare large quantities of food in advance and then store it until needed and may not thoroughly reheat before consumption. Many households who used to cook using solid fuels like firewood, coal or cow dung cakes, which release smoke leading to lacrimation and nasal discharge while cooking posing a threat to food safety are now migrating to safe cooking fuels due to government’s Ujjwala Yojana and other schemes. This is a welcome measure.
Why everyone’s business?
Many challenges faced by countries like ours in addressing food safety concerns are multi-dimensional. Low consumer awareness and perceptions of despair could be important hindrances for ensuring safety of food at the individual and household levels. For motivating self-directed changes in individual or household level practices, people need to be given not only the scientific rationale to alter established practices but also the means and resources to do so. Stricter regulation, compliance with global standards of manufacturing, distribution and competitiveness, are necessary, but not sufficient to address the food risks. Unless systemic changes are brought about and enabling environments are created, the perceptions of helplessness may cause consumers to think that food safety measures are meant for others rather than themselves. We have to realise Food Safety indeed is everyone’s business as this year’s theme says.
Eating out? Avoid unhygienic eateries
PATNA: Food safety norms are finding no takers in majority of eateries which have mushroomed in every nook and corner of the city. The guidelines envisaged by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) are seldom followed in most eateries in the city.
According to FSSAI norms, cooks and other food handlers are not allowed to wear rings on their fingers. They are also supposed to use gloves and skull caps. Raw materials should be sourced from only licenced wholesalers or retailers. The ingredients used in making main dishes should also be displayed in the kitchens and cooking vessels should not be kept on floor.
However, the eatery owners do not seem to care much about these norms. Pankaj Kumar (35), who owns a Chinese food stall at Maurya Lok, said, “Who cares about hygiene? We are poor and we need to keep our stomach full anyhow.”
Vinod Kumar, who runs a stall of ‘panipuri’ near Fraser Road, too seemed less bothered about flies invading food items at his stall. “I have a family to run and this is my way of earning. Hygiene doesn’t matter to me,” he said.
Some restaurant owners, however, claimed that they follow food safety norms prescribed by the FSSAI. Roomi Quazi Ekta, who owns a restaurant at Dak Bungalow crossing, said he has strictly instructed his employees to sanitise their hands and wear hand gloves before entering the kitchen. “We do not serve anything which is harmful to the health of our consumers,” he added.
Residents too seem unaware about the manner in which food is prepared and served in hotels. One Madhuri Kumari (19), who was seen eating food at a roadside eatery at Maurya Lok on Thursday, said, “Hotels maintain hygiene but we cannot afford to eat there.”
A senior health department official said eateries and hotels in the city are regularly inspected. “We collect food samples from the eateries and hotels and take necessary action in case of violation of food safety norms,” he added.
State health department principal secretary Sanjay Kumar said people in food business are trained regularly so that they can adhere to food safety norms.
Kaushal Kishore, additional secretary in health department, said, “We had collected around 7,000 food samples from eateries and hotels across the state in the last fiscal (2018-19). Of them, 500 samples were found to be completely below the mark. Action is being taken against the eateries based on the nature of violation of food safety norms. The measures include penalty, prosecution and closure of erring units. We collected around Rs 17 lakh in the last fiscal from eateries violating food safety norms.”
He added, “The inspection is carried out either periodically or randomly. We will soon start video-based online inspection by food safety inspectors.”
Kishore said though the food safety wing of the state health department has only 14 food safety officers, a proposal for increasing the strength to 105 has been sent to the state government. “The central government has also sanctioned Rs 5 crore for upgradation of food safety lab in Bihar,” he added.
Ban on sale of gutkha, pan masala to continue in Tamil Nadu
The State Food Safety and Drug Administration department has extended the ban on sale of gutka, pan masala and chewable food products that contain tobacco and nicotine as ingredients in Tamil Nadu for
CHENNAI: The State Food Safety and Drug Administration department has extended the ban on sale of gutka, pan masala and chewable food products that contain tobacco and nicotine as ingredients in Tamil Nadu for one more year after the ban lapsed in May 23.
A gazette notification said, “In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Central Act 34 of 2006), the Commissioner of Food Safety hereby prohibits the manufacture, storage, transport, distribution or sale of all products chewable or otherwise, either flavoured or scented or mixed with any of the said additive.”
Govt must notify Food Safety and Standards Regulations: CUTS Director
According to a recently published NRAI India Food Service Report 2019, out of a total of 24.9 lakh food business operators in the country, only 4.67 lakh have FSSAI licence
The Centre must notify the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2018 at the earliest, which will prove to be an important step in improving food safety standards in the country, George Cheriyan, a member of Central Advisory Committee of FSSAI and director of CUTS International, said.
The first ever 'World Food Safety Day' on the theme of "Food Safety, Everyone's Business" will be observed across the world on June 7, 2019, and the early notification of the regulations will promote and facilitate actions for food safety, he said.
According to a recently published NRAI India Food Service Report 2019, out of a total of 24.9 lakh food business operators in the country, only 4.67 lakh have a Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) licence.
The Rajasthan government had collected 124 food samples from January to May this year which were found unsafe and misbranded, Cheriyan said.
The Rajasthan State Human Rights Commission had also sought a report from the state government regarding rampant food adulteration and subsequent health effects.
Cherian said consumers have a right to safe, nutritious and quality food. Hence, there is an urgent need to ensure the availability of safe food for consumers.
Considering that a large number of people are ordering food online, the online platforms have a responsibility to register only FBOs with a licence on their platforms, he said.
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