Regulatory, industry bodies say salt brands in India are safe to consume

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have refuted the allegations of high levels of potassium ferrocyanide in Indian salt brands

As allegations and concerns have cropped up over the safety of major Indian salt brands, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and the Indian Medical Association (IMA) have refuted the concerns that the major salt brands contain alarming level of potassium ferrocyanide.

The FSSAI tweeted: "Ferrocyanides are used as anti-caking agents in processing of salt and are safe for consumption. Test reports quoted in media have shown its presence well within limit of 10 mg/kg, as specified by FSSAI. This is less than 14 mg/kg specified by Codex (International Food Standards)."

IMA tweeted that it stands with FSSAI's statement. Concerns rose after Shiv Shankar Gupta, Chairman of Godhum Grains & Farm Products last week claimed that potassium ferrocyanide levels were alarmingly high in reputed Indian salt brands

According to Gupta, a test by American West Analytical Laboratories (AWAL) has revealed that potassium ferrocyanide levels are an alarmingly high in Sambhar Refined Salt at 4.71 mg per kg, at 1.85 mg per kg in Tata Salt and 1.90 mg per kg in Tata Salt Lite.

However, American West Analytical Laboratories in a statement dated July 1 said that "AWAL does not report opinions concerning analytical data" and also "does not analyze or report potassium ferrocyanide".

American West Analytical Laboratories also said that AWAL does not communicate any information to third parties (e.g., news agencies) concerning work performed at our laboratory without written permission from our primary client.

Tata Salt in a statement said that its product is safe and harmless. "The recent allegations made against the purity and health benefits of Tata Salt are totally false and misleading and being made by vested interests. India is one among many countries including the USA, European Union, Australia and New Zealand that have allowed the use of PFC in salt," it said.

"The level allowed by FSSAI, an independent statutory authority, under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India is the lowest among these jurisdictions (10 mg per kg). Codex Alimentarius, the most authoritative guidelines on food safety has declared APFC Asafe for consumption at levels of 14 mg per kg. The use of PFC is allowed in salt and is safe and harmless to the human body when consumed as per approved levels. This is clearly declared in the list of Tata Salt ingredients in a manner prescribed by the regulations," it added.

Food Safety seizes 1100 tins of vanaspati oil for labelling violations in Anantnag

SRINAGAR: A team of Food Safety officers Thursday seized 1100 tins of Vanaspati vegetable oil worth 11 lakh for labelling violations in south Kashmir’s Anantnag.

“The tins bearing trade name Ratna Gold imported and marketed by ANIK Industries Ltd. South Tukogani, Indore MP were found having two labels, one bearing the manufacturing date August 2018 over which was pasted another label with date of packing as March 2019,” a statement of Food Safety Anantnag said.

After preliminary investigation it has surfaced that the aforementioned company is indulging in relabeling of its old stocks whose best before date gets expired by pasting a new label with fresh consumers, the statement said.

“The investigation in the matter also revealed that the company sends separate labels with new date of manufacturing for further relabeling of goods at their own end in case these goods again miss the deadline of best before mentioned on the label,” it said.

“A sample has also been taken for ascertaining the quality of the product,” the statement added.

Ban on junk food in and outside schools, colleges not proving effective

Srinagar: Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir are yet to impose a complete ban on the sale of junk food in and outside educational institutions, despite several warnings by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India and the University Grants Commission.

As per food safety officials, educational institutions in the state are brazenly violating orders as there is no law banning the sale of junk food in J&K.

“We must have some law which will enable us to impose a ban on the sale of junk food inside and outside educational institutions. Then only the guidelines and advisories will be followed in letter and spirit,” said Assistant Food Commissioner Srinagar, Hilal Ahmad Mir.

He said the department had recommended to the ministry and to the FSSAI to bring some law, so that “harmful” foods can be banned near schools and colleges.

“Junk food has many harmful effects on the body as well as on the mind of children and youth, so there must be some restriction on its sale,” Mir said.

In 2018, the University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a direction to universities in all states, including J&K, to ban the sale of junk food on university and affiliated college campuses.

“Banning junk food in colleges will set new standards for healthy food, making the students live better, learn better and reduce obesity levels. This will prevent lifestyle diseases which have a direct link with excessive weight,” the UGC said in a communication to the universities.

The circular was issued after a directive from the HRD ministry, asking the UGC to ban the sale of junk food on premises of higher educational institutions.

“You are requested to ensure strict adherence to the advisory. Create awareness among the younger generation who are vulnerable,” the circular read.

The university regulatory body also asked for a report to be submitted about actions taken in this regard, “at the earliest”.

Earlier, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) also recommended restricting sale or availability of foods high in fat, salt or sugar content within a 50-meter radius of schools.

Recently, the FSSAI also proposed banning advertisements of unhealthy food in and around school premises, in an attempt to promote safe and wholesome food among school children

The FSSAI has prepared a draft regulation on availability of safe, wholesome and nutritious food in schools and the same has been sent to the health ministry for approval.

Last year, the Commissioner Food Safety, J&K, issued an advisory to all colleges and schools asking them to restrict the sale of junk foods in and outside their campuses.

According to the directions, no unregistered mobile food vendor should be allowed into school premises or allowed to sell junk food inside the registered school canteens.

“Children are not the best judge of their food choice (hence) the schools or institutions must take steps to enhance the availability of wholesome and nutritious food to school children and to restrict (and) limit the availability of HFSS (High Fat, Sugar & Salt) foods or junk food among them,” reads the advisory, issued by the then commissioner of food safety, Dr Abdul Kabir Dar.

The advisory includes a slew of other measures that need to be taken for ensuring the sale of hygienic food and to provide students knowledge about food allergies, food-borne diseases, balanced diet, and personal hygiene.

It also asked school heads to inculcate good food habits in the students, and ensure a good standard of food safety and nutrition across the entire ecosystem of food around schools, including canteens, cafeteria, food joints, mess, and anganwadi centers.

Schools were asked to create School Health and Wellness Team with the involvement of parents, teachers, students, and food business operators to make schools more health-promoting institutions.

However, no educational institution follows the advisory in the absence of a specific law.

“Our children are at high risk of developing lifestyle diseases due to high intake of junk food, which is high in fat, salt and sugar,” said Dr Salim Khan, a public health expert and Head of Department, Social and Preventive Medicine, Government Medical College Srinagar.

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAMANI NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

FSSAI to serve notice on FBOs functioning without licence

The move is to ensure 100 % compliance to certificate and registration process

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will serve notices on food business operators (FBOs) who fail to comply with the mandatory license and registration process of the food regulator.

The decision was taken at a recent steering committee meeting convened by Coimbatore District Collector R. Rajamani with officials from various departments and stakeholders to streamline the process.

K. Tamilselvan, Designated Food Safety Officer, Coimbatore, told The Hindu on Wednesday that the move to serve notices on defaulters was to ensure 100 % compliance to certificate and registration process of FSSAI. As of now the compliance has touched 89 % in the district.

“FSSAI will convene special camps with the cooperation of associations of FBOs like the bakery owners’ association in the coming days. We will urge the associations to ensure compliance to certificate and registration process for member FBOs. Those who continue to operate business without licence and registration will be served notice under Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act to take legal action,” he said.

Section 63 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, deals with punishment for carrying out a business without licence (If any person or food business operator (except the persons exempted from licensing under sub-section (2) of section 31 of this Act), himself or by any person on his behalf who is required to obtain licence, manufactures, sells, stores or distributes or imports any article of food without licence, shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months and also with a fine which may extend to ₹5 lakh).

Coimbatore has an estimated number of 31,153 FBOs of which 27,719 have obtained licence or registered themselves with FSSAI. Of the 27,719 FBOs, 7,945 have obtained licences and 19,774 completed registration.

FBOs with an annual turnover of ₹12 lakh or above must obtain licence from FSSAI while those with an annual turnover below ₹ 12 lakh are mandated to get a registration certificate from the regulatory body.

According to Dr. Tamilselvan, the licence and registration processes have become easy after the introduction of online facility for the same.

ADULTERATED MILK FOUND IN TEA SHOPS, HOTELS IN VANUR

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

DINAMANI NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAMANI NEWS

DINAMALAR NEWS

Why Sugar Sector is Opposing FSSAI Move on Labeling Products with Sugar?

The Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued draft regulations which would aim to mandate packaged food companies to label sugar content of products. These companies have to label high fat, sugar and salt contents in front of the package in red colour.

Currently, most of the packaged food firms print nutrition details of the contents that include their recommended daily values, at the back of the package. In a bid to encourage customers make healthier food choices, these regulations propose to make it mandatory to display red colour-coding on front-of-the-pack labels on packaged food products that have high-fat, high-sugar and high-salt content levels. This requirement would be implemented in a phased manner for a period of three years, FSSAI said.

FSSAI said food labels will declare, per serve percentage contribution to recommended dietary allowance on the front of the pack. Members of the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) & National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Mills that represent both private and cooperative sugar sectors then met the chairman of FSSAI to oppose the draft policy.

For the country’s sugar millers which are already reeling under the impact of falling prices and a piling inventory, this move could come as a major blow as it would imply that consumption of sugar is harmful for health.

The country has been planning these rules, as early as two years ago, requiring food manufacturers to display fat, sugar and salt content on their labels and had been also considering a nationwide “fat tax” on so-called “junk food” to encourage consumers to make healthier food choices. Prakash Naiknavare, Managing Director, National Federation of Cooperative Sugar Factories (NFCSF) termed this as a wrong move at a wrong time. “The industry currently has its back against the wall with a record inventory of the previous season and the current season and there are no sales happening. There is no lift in the market and most importantly, there is no evidence to suggest that the consumption of sugar is harmful. Anything consumed in excess is harmful and in a poor country like India, sugar is the cheapest source of energy. One cannot club sugar in the same class as alcohol, cigarettes and white cocaine.”

Six months ago, the federation had taken up the issue when a workshop was held to impress upon the FSSAI officials to substantiate its stand. FSSAI Chairman had then agreed to put the draft regulations on hold. “Now that it has been revived, we will have to renew our efforts,” he opined.

Maharashtra State Cooperative Sugar Factories Federation MD Sanjay Khatal highlighted that FSSAI needed to reconsider its decision in respect of sugar. “Sugar is a food item essential in terms of requisite blood sugar and energy for the body. It is not an intoxicant requiring statutory warnings. The pressure groups working against sugar and lobbying with governments across the world need to instead focus on educating the need for active lifestyles by individuals consisting of daily exercises and reducing stress. World over where malnutrition is an issue, sugar intakes are pathetically poor and needed to taken note of, too,” he added.

Thiruvananthapuram: Cooking oil to be ‘reused’ to make biofuel

Food biz operators must hand over oil instead of reheating.

FSSAI standards allow the reuse of cooking oil until it reaches a maximum Total Polar Compound (TPC), considered as an accurate indicator of the quality of frying oil, the limit of 25 per cent.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of its effort to prevent reuse and ensure scientific disposal of cooking oil by food business operators (FBOs), Kerala Commissionerate of Food safety (KCFS) has launched Ruco or repurpose used cooking oil.

The initiative mandates the FBOs to hand over the oil to agencies accredited by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for biodiesel production.

The plan is to ensure a tie-up with FBOs and accredited agencies under Biodiesel Engine Association for collection and disposal of used fryer oil.

The Commissionerate has found severe malpractices involved in the usage of cooking oil by FBOs, which could pose a serious health threat to consumers. Its toxicity is associated with several ailments such as hypertension, atherosclerosis and liver diseases.

A top official of the Commissionerate told DC that a survey to find out disposal method adopted by FBOs for used cooking oil is ongoing at all districts. The food safety authorities have identified around 24 FBOs in Thiruvananthapuram and Alappuzha who uses above 50 litres of cooking oil per day.

“As per the information we got, there are agencies collecting cooking oil, but we are not sure how they are disposing of it. Once the survey is finished, we will be convening a meeting with all the agencies involved in this.

Only accredited agencies would be allowed to collect fryer oil. Reuse of cooking oil is pervasive in the state,” said an official.

FSSAI standards allow the reuse of cooking oil until it reaches a maximum Total Polar Compound (TPC), considered as an accurate indicator of the quality of frying oil, the limit of 25 per cent.

Recently, FSSAI had provided digital cooking oil tester to the Commissionerate to check their quality at eateries and bakeries.

According to officials, discarded oil dumped into water bodies and open spaces could degrade the environment, and hence scientific disposal should be ensured.

Fact check: No, potassium ferrocyanide in some salt brands is not at toxic levels

Workers move the extracted salt from pan to avoid produce getting washed away in case of rain, at Motumala in Prakasam district. 

Citing a report from U.S.-based West American Analytical Laboratories, Shiv Shankar Gupta, chairman of Godhum Grains and Food Products, accused some salt manufacturers in India of selling food-grade salt that contained high levels of potassium ferrocyanide. This caused a panic, which was aggravated by widespread sharing of the news item on social media.

Indeed, potassium ferrocyanide is being used in salt to give it anti-caking properties. But the answer to whether it is toxic is no!

Firstly, while potassium cyanide is a toxic substance and releases the cyanide anion when consumed by a person, potassium ferrocyanide is not. In potassium ferrocyanide, the cyanide anion is strongly bonded to ferrous ion and hence does not get hydrolysed.

An image widely shared in social media. 

Secondly, there is the factor known as the LD50 value. This is expanded as “Lethal Dose 50%”. LD50 is the amount of any chemical that can cause death in 50% of the group of animals that it enters by consumption or absorption through the skin.

According to inorganic chemist Dr. Sayam Sengupta of IISER Kolkata, the LD50 value for common salt — sodium chloride — for rats is greater than 3 gram per kilogram body weight of the animal. He points out that for potassium Ferrocyanide, LD 50 value is 3.6 gram per kilogram weight of the animal, when taken orally.

As this indicates, the LD50 value of potassium ferrocyanide is almost the same as common salt.

Thirdly, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has prescribed the levels of potassium ferrocyanide that can be used in salt. As Dr Arvind Kumar, Principal Scientist with the Central Salt and Marine Chemicals Research Institute of the CSIR, clarifies, the allowed levels of potassium ferrocyanide in salt is 10 mg/kg. whereas the level in the Tata salt was found to be 1.90 mg/kg and that of Sambhar salt was found to be about 4.71 mg/kg, both within allowed levels.

Some countries such as the European Union have banned the use of potassium ferrocyanide as anti-caking agent. However, the analysis indicates that there is no reason to fear toxicity due to this chemical being used.

Claim Review: News article claims there is deadly cyanide in branded salt.

Fact Check: False

FSSAI ORDER - SPECIAL DRIVE FOR LICENSING & REGISTRATION OF FBO's

FSSAI ORDER ON USE OF STAPLE PLUS ON FOOD PACKETS

FSSAI ORDER ON VANASPATHI

FSSAI ORDER ON LABELLING REQUIREMENTS FOR BLENDED EDIBLE VEGETABLE OILS

FSSAI ORDER ON FROEN DESSERT OR CONFECTION

Guidance note on Gluten Free Foods

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAKARAN NEWS

DINAMANI NEWS

Plants transmit superbugs to humans

FDA set to standardise faecal transfer procedure

Rs.35k fine slapped on soft drink major

Run theses simple tests to detect food adulteration

Ludhiana, June 23

Food adulteration can pose a serious risk to public health. Getting food tested in laboratories may not be feasible every time as it entails investment of time, effort and money. The good news is that in many cases sensory evaluation quick tests can help in determining whether or not the food product is adulterated.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has given some simple tests to detect adulteration in food.

Chilli powder is usually adulterated with brick powder, salt powder and talcum powder. In this case, the genuineness can be ascertained by taking a teaspoon of chilli powder in a glass of water and examining the residue. On rubbing the residue, if any grittiness is felt, it indicates the presence of brick powder or sand or both. If there is any white residue with a soapy and smooth feel, it suggests the presence of soap stone.

Sugar is another frequently adulterated foodstuff. Richa Batra, a city-based homemaker, says that she bought sugar that did not taste quite right. It seemed adulterated. The FSSAI suggests that to test sugar, rub a little of it on palm and smell. If adulterated with urea, it will smell of ammonia. Or you can dissolve a small amount of sugar in water. If adulterated with urea, sugar gives a smell of ammonia.

Most of the times, the public remains unsuspecting of adulteration in atta (wheat flour). Yet it is very often adulterated. The normal taste of chapati prepared out of atta is somewhat sweetish whereas those prepared out of adulterated atta will be insipid and tasteless.

Among the spices and condiments, turmeric powder (haldi) often suffers the onslaught of adulteration. To detect artificial colour in turmeric powder, add a little of this powder in a glass of water. Natural turmeric powder leaves light yellow colour while settling down. Adulterated turmeric powder leaves a strong yellow colour in water while settling down. 

Sample this

• Most of the times the public remains unsuspecting of adulteration in atta (wheat flour). Yet it is very often adulterated. The normal taste of chapati prepared out of atta is somewhat sweetish whereas those prepared out of adulterated atta will be insipid and tasteless.
• The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India suggests that to test sugar, rub a little of it on palm and smell. If adulterated with urea, it will smell of ammonia.

Thiruvananthapuram: 24 hours food safety toll free number

The toll-free number has received around 200 to 250 calls between April and June this year.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As part of its effort to effectively address customer grievances, the Kerala Commissionerate of Food Safety for the first time is gearing up to launch a grievance redressal platform which would keep the complainant on the loop.

To make the initiative a reality, it has tied up with the Citizen Call Centre run by the IT Mission for managing the food safety toll-free number – 1800-425 -1125 - which would function 24 hours.

A top official of the Commissionerate told DC that the complainant now on would get an email intimation or SMS on the status of the complaint forwarded to the concerned food safety officers across the state.

The toll-free number has received around 200 to 250 calls between April and June this year.

“The call centre would inform the complaint to the concerned food safety official in the region. Suppose if there is a mass food poisoning, the moment the call centre receives the info it would be passed on to the food safety officer, regional deputy commissioner and assistant food safety commissioner. We have given strict direction to settle the complaint within three days,” said the official.

However, the inadequate number of vehicles and food safety officers are a major handicap.

“The complaint would be dealt with depending on the gravity of the issue as we don’t have vehicles at all districts. We have taken this with the government, and they have promised to help,” said the official.

CHECK BEFORE YOU PURCHASE WHAT LIES IN YOUR RICE?

Study Of Popular Rice Brands By Scientists Shows Health Claims May Not Be True

The premium priced and packaged brown rice from the supermarket may in reality be whiter and more polished than ever, and the so-called ‘diabetic friendly’ variety, nothing more than parboiled white rice. Armed with a stereo-zoom microscope, food scientists from Madras Diabetic Research Foundation (MDRF) decided to put 15 types of supermarket ‘healthy’ rice grains to the test. What they found was that in many cases there wasn’t a grain of truth in the claims mentioned on the packets.

“With more diabetic patients approaching us with newer varieties of rice that claim to be zero cholesterol and sugar-free we decided to examine 15 of the popular ones,” says MDRF food and nutrition research scientist Sudha Vasudevan, one of the co-authors of the study recently published in the Journal of Diabetology.

The biggest shocker was a brown rice brand that proclaimed an 8.6 glycemic index (GI), a value Vasudevan says has never been reported as per the international GI table (the lowest GI of rice is around 40). GI is a relative ranking of carbohydrate in foods according to how they affect blood glucose levels. A GI value of less than 55 is considered low, while 70 and above is high.

“On examination the rice was found to be parboiled brown rice. There were fissures on the surface and a mild disruption of the bran and germ layers,” says MDRF food scientist Shobana Shanmugam, also a co-author. Fissures and a disrupted bran and germ layer, she says, make the rice mushy when cooked as more water is absorbed by the grain, intensifying its starchiness. This in turn increases the GI.

What one needs to understand, says Vasudevan, is that all brown rice may not be low GI. “The other misconception is that hand-pounded rice is healthy, but findings show it has a GI similar to polished white rice because of the abrasions on the grains,” she says. Vasudevan explains that bran is rich in fat and tough to cook to a soft consistency, so Indians tend to cook it longer. “Indians add a lot of water to brown rice and that breaks the bran layer.” MDRF recommends brown rice to be cooked with a 1:1.5 cup water ratio as opposed to the usual 1:3.

Minimally polished rice also have a high GI, says Vasudevan. “Parboiled rice is also polished and therefore not that healthy. Parboiling is done to increase vitamin B and for a longer shelf life, but it removes the germ and bran layer, resulting in higher GI.”

The other tall claims, says Shanmugam, were sugar free and zero cholesterol options. “No plantbased food has direct cholesterol, but in excess they can cause triglyceride and cholesterol levels to go up.” As for sugar-free rice, she says, the starch in rice is converted to glucose on digestion, so in effect there cannot be sugar-free rice.

“The key is to not get carried away by labels. And to remember that rice needs to be eaten in moderation,” says Vasudevan.

DINAMALAR NEWS