Mar 24, 2020
Mar 20, 2020
Coronavirus outbreak: How safe is your food
01/5Can coronavirus spread through food
With the outbreak of the COVID19, strict instructions of staying quarantined have been passed in most countries around the world. The toll of confirmed cases is rising every minute in affected countries and at this rate, it can also go out of control if proper measures are not taken in time. The situation is becoming severe as we see it and if anything that has become more important than eating is staying clean and washing your hands and face as much as possible throughout the day. Coronavirus is declared a pandemic by the WHO and this has given rise to the pre-existent agitation among people all over the world. For the very same reason, it is important to keep the right information in hand and not let hoax news create any more panic than what already exists.
02/5False news
One most common false information that is being spread on a large scale is that the virus is capable of spreading through food. The researchers at European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC) said that even though the virus is likely to have spread from an animal source, it is now spreading through human contact by respiratory droplets that are either sneezed, coughed or exhaled by people.
03/5Food is safe
So, unless someone who has been infected by the virus, sneezes, exhales or has any form of droplet transmission through food or otherwise within one-metre distance, both you and your food are safe. Droplet transmission can also take place by sharing the infected person’s used cutlery like spoons, cups, plates, etc. The most common gateway for these droplets to enter your body is through your eyes, mouth and nose which is why the hygiene instructions mark as washing hands regularly and keeping hands off your face are prioritized by the World Health Organisation.
04/5Is meat safe?
Being around the person who is infected with COVID19 can potentially increase your chances of getting the virus. But any information that claims that the virus can be spread through any food items, especially poultry, stand false at this moment. The director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has also talked about the consumption of poultry and has made it clear that if made under clean and hygienic conditions, poultry has no harm in the ongoing coronavirus. "As a common healthcare precaution, all kinds of meat should be thoroughly washed and properly cooked," he added. Many organisations and research centres such as the European Food Safety Authority have been working closely on this matter and have also claimed that currently there is no evidence that food is one of the likely sources of transmitting the coronavirus.
05/5Important measures to stay safer
It is advised by experts to not eat food from outside and cook at home as much as possible because, at the end of the day, you do not know by whom your food is prepared and under which circumstances. It is also advised to avoid going out to parties, playdates, sleepovers, coffee shops, etc. Staying indoors is one of the easiest ways we can prevent ourselves from getting the virus and spreading it.
Mar 19, 2020
Mar 18, 2020
E.coli lurking in B'luru street food, hotels no better
Cooked food also contaminated; study flags govt apathy
Favourite chicken momos and pani puri are teeming with harmful bacteria, including E.coli.
Indian street food vendors near the holy Ganges river. According to legends, Varanasi city was founded by God Shiva about 5000 years ago.
Bengaluru,
Your favourite chicken momos and pani puri are teeming with harmful bacteria, including E.coli.
As per a study, many popular snacks sold by street vendors in Bengaluru failed to clear safety tests, with lab reports of 50 samples showing the presence of harmful bacteria.
The results highlight the crisis in the unorganised sector that has faced government apathy for decades, while hotels — which are equally unhygienic — have remained impenetrable, thanks to a legal wrangle.
The study was the result of a collaboration between Mount Carmel Autonomous College and Ramaiah Advanced Testing Laboratory which highlighted the need for positive government intervention instead of periodical crackdown.
One sample each was collected as per FSSAI guidelines from 50 vendors spread across Koramangala, Vijayanagar, RT Nagar, Palace Guttahalli, Rajajingar, Wilson Garden, Shanti Nagar, Thippasandra, Vasanthnagar, Vyalikaval, Sudhama Nagar and Indiranagar.
Of the 25 samples of bhel puri, pani puri, masala puri and sukha puri, 14 had E.coli. Even cooked food like chicken was found to be contaminated. Of the six samples of chicken kebab and chicken momo, three had E.coli. The bacteria was also found in three of the five samosa samples.
Jubin Joseph, COO at Ramaiah Lab, said the presence of E.coli indicates water contamination. “The source is likely to be the water supplied to street vendors or the raw materials for the food they prepare, especially vegetables and chicken,” he said.
The public trusts darshinis and star hotels as there is no one testing their food. A senior official in the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said they have not checked the kitchens nor tested food from restaurants ever since the hotel owners’ association managed to get a stay from the court.
Process to register under Food Safety Act is all Greek to vendors
LUDHIANA: Vendors are finding it difficult to get themselves registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
It is mandatory for all those who are in food business, including owners of canteens and hotels, to obtain a licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Ludhiana, March 21
Vendors are finding it difficult to get themselves registered under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. The Suvidha Centre, which was to facilitate the vendors, has left them disappointed.
It is mandatory for all those who are in food business, including owners of canteens and hotels, to obtain a licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Parkash, a migrant from Bihar and a roadside vendor, who has a tikki rehri at Chaura Bazar, said:
“I went to the office and they gave me a form, but I was unable to fill it. The form is lying with me. I will ask somebody to help me fill in the form and then submit it,” he said.
Roshan, who runs a juice corner near the bus stand, said: “I know getting registered is mandatory, but the government should simplify things for those who are unable to understand the complexities of paper work. I only know how to write my name and operating computer is beyond my ability. Nobody at the window is ready to fill in my form and I did not want to waste money on agents. A help desk should be set up at such centres to facilitate people like us,” he lamented.
District Health Officer Dr Abnash Kumar said the facility to help people fill in forms for getting registered under the Act was yet to start at the Suvidha Centre.
About registration
Petty retailers and hawkers with an annual turnover of Rs 12 lakh should get registered by paying the annual fee of Rs 100. Large scale units involved in dairy, vegetable oil processing, meat processing, food processing and exports whose turnover is above Rs 12 lakh should obtain licences. The registration is renewed every year.
Mar 17, 2020
Mar 16, 2020
Complaints against food apps up 100%
NEW DELHI: Complaints over food quality and hygiene standards against online food ordering and delivery platforms look set to double during the current financial year with 1,955 grievances lodged between April 2019 and January 2020, as against 1,053 during the 2018-19 fiscal year.
The consumer affairs ministry said online food ordering and delivery services have increased during the last three years. “Some instances of sale of sub-standard food being delivered through online food delivery service platforms have come to notice of FSSAI. Whenever any [such] instance is received, the same is taken up with the commissioner of food safety of states/UTs. The Food Safety and Standards Act and Rules & Regulations framed thereunder have provisions to ensure food quality and hygiene,” the ministry said.
Most complaints lodged against e-commerce firms, House told
The ministry recently gave the details of complaints in response to a question in the Rajya Sabha.
The complaints were registered through the National Consumer Helpline set up by the government. The details accessed from NCH show that one-fourth of the 5.65 lakh complaints registered till January this year were related to e-commerce. In response to another question in the RS in December last year, the consumer affairs ministry had said that the top five firms against whom the maximum complaints were registered between April and September 2019 included two major ecommerce firms — Flipkart Internet Pvt Ltd and Amazon Seller Services Pvt Ltd.
The other three companies were from the telecom sector — Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone. NCH data also show that 18% of the complaints against e-commerce firms between April 2019 and January 2020 were related to no refund of paid amount and in 12% cases of wrong goods being delivered. According to a report, the maximum complaints were received from UP (14%), followed by Maharashtra (13%) and Delhi (11%).
Consumer complaints against food apps like Zomato, Swiggy almost double in FY20 so far
Some instances of sale of sub-standard food being delivered through online food delivery service platforms have come to notice of FSSAI," said Consumer Affairs MoS Danve Raosaheb Dadarao.
XConsumer grievances in FY20 are heading towards a 100 per cent increase from FY19.
Even as online food ordering and delivery services sector in India, which has Zomato and Swiggy as the leading players, continues to grow on the back of growing customer base for online players and serving new markets, the customers’ grievances with respect to food hygiene and quality standards are also on the rise. According to the government data, such grievances in FY20 are heading towards a 100 per cent increase from FY19. The number of complaints filed with the National Consumer Helpline has increased from 1,053 in FY19 to 1,955 till January FY20, according to the data shared by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution MoS Danve Raosaheb Dadarao in Rajya Sabha earlier this month. That’s already an 85 per cent increase from FY19.
“Some instances of sale of sub-standard food being delivered through online food delivery service platforms have come to notice of FSSAI. Whenever any instance of sale and supply of substandard food items through such platforms is received, the same is taken up with the concerned Commissioner of Food Safety of States/UTs,” Dadarao said in a written reply.
However, interestingly between April 2019 and September 2019, out of the top five companies against which 34,991 complaints were filed with the National Consumer Helpline, Flipkart Internet and Amazon Seller Services topped the list with 11,028 and 7,203 complaints respectively filed against them. The other three companies were Reliance Jio Infocomm, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone. Most of the complaints were resolved by these companies, data showed. The total number of complaints resolved stood at 34,342.
“Different Regulatory Bodies look into different products such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is concerned with food products, the Central Drug Controller with medicines/cosmetics to check for counterfeit and sub-standard products in the market on regular basis and if any deficiency is found, manufacturers are penalised as per the provisions in the related Acts,” the minister said.
Mar 14, 2020
Can you get the coronavirus by eating food prepared outside? Here’s what food safety experts say
While some of us would want to stick to our home and not dine at restaurants, it may not be possible for some to give up eating out right now. But, is it safe to dine out in the event of a coronavirus pandemic?
Can you get the coronavirus by eating food prepared outside? Here’s what food safety experts say
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- The COVID-19, which has killed at least 4,923 lives across 116 countries and territories
- Dining out may not be on the menu for many as the fears of contracting the novel coronavirus continue to grow
- Yet, not everyone is ready to give up or avoid eating out just yet. But, is it safe to dine out in the event of a pandemic?
New Delhi: For many people, dining out may not be on the menu for now as the fears of contracting the novel coronavirus continue to grow. Perhaps, now that the COVID-19, which has killed at least 4,923 lives across 116 countries and territories, has been officially classified as a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO), a lot of people would be hesitant to venture out of their homes.
While some of us would want to stick to our home-cooked meals and not dine at restaurants, it may not be possible for some to give up eating out right now. In fact, not everyone is ready to give up or avoid eating out just yet. But, is it safe to dine out in the event of a pandemic?
Can you get the COVID-19 through food?
Some health experts said that dining out should not be a cause for concern as long as you take precautions and practice good hygiene such as keeping your hands clean with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub, not coming into contact with those who are unwell, etc.
“As things stand today, based on the information we have from the Centers for Disease Control (and Prevention) and information from local and state public health officials, I don’t see any basis for recommendations that people not dine out,” Benjamin Chapman, food safety expert and a professor at North Carolina State University, told the USA Today.
According to the Food Safety Authority of Ireland, experience with SARS and MERS suggests that people are not infected with the virus through food. So, it is unlikely the virus is passed on through food, and there is no evidence yet of this happening with the COVID-19 to date.
Craig Hedberg, a University of Minnesota professor and an expert on food-borne illness, added that there’s no evidence that the illness is transmitted through food.
That said, let us be absolutely clear about one thing - the novel coronavirus is a newly identified virus and scientists are still learning about the nature of this virus, including its transmission. The virus is known to spread via respiratory droplets from coughs and sneezes of an infected person. Also, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has been detected in the stool of certain patients, noted a report in the Harvard Health Publishing.
So, it would be difficult to rule out the possibility of the infection being spread through food by an infected person who has not washed hands thoroughly or followed hygiene guidelines. And if you’re not sure whether it's safe to dine out at this point of time, you would want to stick to your homemade food. Also, keep yourself updated with the latest information on coronavirus disease from your local or state health authorities. With the virus spreading rapidly across the globe, citizens have been asked to take precautions, including good hygiene and self-quarantining - if you think you may have been exposed to the virus.
Mar 13, 2020
Mar 11, 2020
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