Jul 31, 2013

தமிழகத்தில் தடையை மீறி பான்மசாலா, குட்கா விற்பனை வியாபாரிகள் மீது குண்டர் சட்டம்

சேலம், ஜூலை 31:தமிழகத்தில் தடையை மீறி பான்மசாலா, குட்கா உள்ளிட்ட போதை பொருட்களை தொடர்ந்து விற்பவர்கள் மீது குண்டர் சட்டத்தின் கீழ் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க முடிவு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது.
தமிழகத்தில் பான்ம சாலா, குட்கா, வாய்ப்புகையிலை போன்ற போதை பொருட்களுக்கு தடைவிதித்து அரசு கடந்த மே 25ம் தேதி உத்தரவு பிறப்பித்தது. இருப்பு வைத்துள்ள அனைத்து கடைகளும் இது போன்ற பொருட்களை ஒரு மாதத்திற்குள் அப்புறப்படுத்த வேண்டும் என்றும் அறிவிப்பு நோட்டீஸ் கொடுக்கப்பட்டது. இந்த கெடு முடிந்ததையடுத்து அனைத்து மாவட்டங்களிலும் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள், கடைகளில் பான்மசாலா, குட்கா போன்றவை விற்கப்படுகிறதா? என்பது குறித்து தீவிர சோதனை நடத்தி வருகின்றனர். சேலத்தில் உணவுப்பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள் நேற்று நடத்திய அதிரடி சோதனையில் , செவ்வாய்ப்பேட்டையில் உள்ள ஒரு குடோனில் இருந்து 5லட்சம் மதிப்புள்ள போதை பாக்கு, புகையிலை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது. இதே போல் மற்றொரு கடையில் 50 ஆயிரம் மதிப்புள்ள போதைப் பொருட்கள் கைப்பற்றப்பட்டது. இவற்றை மாநகராட்சி குப்பைமேடு பகுதியில் அதிகாரிகள் கொட்டி எரித்தனர்.
இந்நிலையில் பலமுறை எச்சரித்தும் தொடர்ச்சியாக இது போன்ற போதை பொருட்களை விற்பவர்கள் மீது குண்டர் சட்டத்தின் கீழ் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க அதிகாரிகள் முடிவு செய்துள்னர். இது தொடர்பாக சேலம் மாவட்ட வருவாய் அலுவலர் செல்வராஜ், உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகளுடன் ஆலோசனை நடத்தினர்.
இது குறித்து சேலம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் அனுராதா கூறுகையில், “தமிழகத்தில் பான்மசாலா, குட்கா போன்ற பொருட்களை விற்க தடை விதிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. தடையை மீறி விற்பது சட்டப்படி குற்றம். தமிழகத்தை புகையிலை இல்லாத மாநிலமாக மாற்றும் வகையில் அரசு பல்வேறு நடவடிக்கைகளை எடுத்து வருகிறது. சேலம் உள்ளிட்ட ஒரு சில மாவட்டங்களில் போதை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட கடைகளில் மீண்டும் விற்கப்பட்டது சோதனையின் போது தெரியவந்துள்ளது. தொடர்ந்து பான்பாரக், குட்கா, புகையிலை பொருட்களை விற்பனை செய்பவர்கள் மீது குண்டர் சட்டத்தின் கீழ் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க முடிவு செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது,” என்றார்.

சேலத்தில் ரூ.50 ஆயிரம் மதிப்பிலான புகையிலை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள் நடவடிக்கை

சேலம், ஜூலை.30-சேலத்தில் ரூ.50 ஆயிரம் மதிப்பிலான தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை பொருட்களை உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.புகையிலை பொருட்கள்தமிழகத்தில் தடை செய்யப்பட்ட பான்மசாலா, குட்கா போன்ற புகையிலை பொருட்கள் சேலம் செவ்வாய்பேட்டையில் உள்ள ஒரு குடோனில் இருப்பு வைக்கப்பட்டு விற்பனை செய்யப்படுவதாக மாவட்ட வருவாய் அலுவலர் செல்வராஜிக்கு தகவல் கிடைத்தது.அதன்பேரில், மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்புதுறை நியமன அலுவலர் அனுராதா தலைமையில் திருமூர்த்தி, ஜெகநாதன் உள்பட அதிகாரிகள் சேலம் செவ்வாய்பேட்டை சந்தைபேட்டையில் உள்ள ஒரு குடோனுக்கு சென்றனர்.ரூ.50 ஆயிரம் மதிப்பிலான..பின்னர் அதிகாரிகள் அங்கு இருந்த ஊழியர்களிடம் விசாரணை நடத்தியதில், இந்த குடோனின் உரிமையாளர் மதுரை சேர்ந்த முருகானந்தம் என்பது தெரியவந்தது. இதையடுத்து, அதிகாரிகள் குடோனுக்குள் சென்று ஆய்வு செய்தனர். அப்போது அங்கு இருந்த தடை செய்யப்பட்ட பான்மசாலா, குட்கா போன்ற புகையிலை பொருட்களை அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். இதன் மதிப்பு ரூ.50 ஆயிரம் ஆகும். மேலும் குடோனில் இருந்து வாய் நறுமண பொருட்களையும் அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்து மாதிரி ஆய்வுக்காக எடுத்து சென்றனர்.சட்டப்படி நடவடிக்கைஇதுகுறித்து நியமன அலுவலர் அனுராதா கூறும் போது, ‘வெளி மாநிலங்களில் இருந்து தடை செய்யப்பட்ட பொருட்கள் இதுபோன்ற குடோனுக்கு லாரிகள் மூலம் கொண்டு வரப்படுகிறது. இதை அவர்கள் மறைமுகமாக கடைகளுக்கு விற்பனை செய்து வருகின்றனர்.தடை செய்யப்பட்ட பொருட்களை விற்றாலோ, பதுக்கி வைத்தாலோ கண்டிப்பாக அவர்கள் சட்டப்படி நடவடிக்கை மேற்கொள்ளப்படும். மேலும் இதுபோன்ற பொருட்களை லாரிகளில் ஏற்றி வரக்கூடாது. அவ்வாறு ஏற்றி வந்தால் அவர்கள் மீதும் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்.இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

சேலத்தில் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டரூ.8 லட்சம் மதிப்புள்ள போதை பொருள் அழிப்பு

சேலம்: சேலத்தில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறையினரால் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட, எட்டு லட்சம் ரூபாய் மதிப்பிலான போதை வஸ்து, நேற்று தீயிட்டு அழிக்கப்பட்டது.
சேலம் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை மூலம், போதை வஸ்து விற்பனை மற்றும் பதுக்கலை தடுக்க, தீவிர நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்பட்டு வருகிறது. மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் அனுராதா தலைமையில், கடைகளில் தீவிர சோதனை நடத்தப்பட்டு வருகிறது.கடந்த சில வாரங்களில், சேலம் செவ்வாய்ப்பேட்டை, குகை, ஜங்ஷன், அம்மாப்பேட்டை, சின்ன கடை வீதி உட்பட மாநகராட்சி பகுதியில் கைப்பற்றப்பட்ட, புகையிலை உள்பட, எட்டு லட்சம் ரூபாய் மதிப்பிலான போதை வஸ்துகளை அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட போதை வஸ்துகள், பழைய நாட்டாண்மை கழக கட்டிடத்தில் இயங்கி வரும் மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு துறை அலுவலகத்தில் வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்தது. சேலம் டி.ஆர்.ஓ., செல்வராஜ், நேற்று பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட போதை வஸ்துகளை பார்வையிட்டார்.
அதன் பின், அவற்றை அழிக்குமாறு அறிவுறுத்தினார். அதன்படி, சேலம் மாவட்ட நியமன அலுவலர் அனுராதா தலைமையிலான அலுவலர்கள், போதை வஸ்துகளை எருமாபாளையம் குப்பை மேடு பகுதிக்கு கொண்டு சென்று, தீயிட்டு அழித்தனர்.

குடோனில் பதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட்டு இருந்த 5 லட்சம் மதிப்புள்ள பான் மசாலா பறிமுதல்


சேலம், ஜூலை 30:
சேலத்தில், குடோனில் பதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட்டு இருந்த 5 லட்சம் மதிப்புள்ள போதை பாக்கு, பான் மசாலா பொருட்களை உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் நேற்று இரவு பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.
தமிழகத்தில், பான் மசாலா, குட்கா உள்ளிட்ட போதை பாக்கு, வாய் புகையிலை போன்ற பொருட்களுக்கு அரசு தடை விதித்துள்ளது. மே 23ம் தேதி முதல் இந்த தடை உத்தரவு அமலில் உள்ளது. இந்நிலையில், சேலம் செவ்வாய்பேட்டை சந்தைப்பேட்டையில் உள்ள குடோன் ஒன்றில், போதை பாக்கு பொட்டலங்கள் பதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட்டு இருப்பதாக சேலம் உணவு பாதுகாப்புத்துறை அதிகாரிகளுக்கு தகவல் கிடைத்தது.
மாவட்ட நியமன அலு வலர் டாக்டர் அனுராதா தலைமையில், அலுவலர்கள் பாலு, ஜெகன், திருமூர்த்தி ஆகியோர் புகாருக்குரிய குடோனுக்கு நேற்றிரவு சென்றனர். அந்த குடோனில் புதுவிதமான போதை பாக்கு பொட்டலங்கள் மூட்டை, மூட்டையாக பதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட்டு இருந்தது. புகையிலை பொட்டலங்கள், நறுமண பாக்கு என்ற பெயரில் தடை செய்யப்பட்ட பாக்கு பொட்டலங்கள் இருந்தன.
சிறு சிறு பிளாஸ்டிக் பைகளில் போதை பாக்கு பொட்டலங்கள் அடைக்கப்பட்டு முடிச்சு போடப்பட்டு இருந்தது. அவை, சேலம் மாநகர பகுதிகளில் உள்ள கடைகளுக்கு இரவு நேரங்களில் சட்ட விரோதமாக விற்பனை செய்வதற்காக தயார் நிலையில் வைக்கப்பட்டு இருந்தது தெரிய வந்தது. குடோனில் இருந்த போதை பாக்கு, புகையிலை பொருட்களை அதிகாரிகள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர். இவற்றின் மதிப்பு 5 லட்சம். பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட போதை பாக்குகளை உணவுப் பகுப்பாய்வுக்கூட பரிசோதனைக்காக அதன் மாதிரிகளை அதிகாரிகள் சேகரித்தனர்.
இதுகுறித்து மாவட்ட உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர் அனுராதா கூறுகையில், செவ்வாய்ப்பேட்டை உள்ள ஒரு குடோனில் பதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த 5 லட்சம் மதிப்புள்ள தடை செய்யப்பட்ட போதை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்த குடோன் உரிமையாளர் முனவர் சிங் தடை மீறி போதை பொருட்களை விற்பனை செய்து வருவதால், இவர் மீது சட்டப்படி நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க உணவு பாதுகாப்பு ஆணையருக்கு பரிந்துரை செய்யப்படும்,” என்றார். இதைதொடர்ந்து விசாரணைக்கு ஆஜராகும்படி குடோன் உரிமையாளருக்கு நோட்டீஸ் கொடுக்கப்பட்டது.

சேலத்தில் புகையிலைப் பொருள்கள் பறிமுதல்

சேலத்தில் ரூ. 10.5 லட்சம் மதிப்பிலான தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை, போதைப் பாக்கு போன்றப் பொருள்களை, மாவட்ட உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர் டாக்டர் தி. அனுராதா, திங்கள்கிழமை பறிமுதல் செய்தார்.
 தமிழகத்தில், இரண்டு மாதங்களுக்கு முன்பு புகையிலை, போதை தரும் பாக்கு வகைகளுக்கு அரசு தடை விதித்தது. இதையடுத்து, சில்லரை வியாபாரிகள் அவற்றை விற்பனை செய்யக் கூடாது என்றும், விநியோகஸ்தர்கள், மொத்த வியாபாரிகள் உள்ளிட்டோர் தங்களிடம் உள்ள பொருள்களை ஜூன் 22-ஆம் தேதிக்குள் அழித்துவிட வேண்டும் என்றும் அவகாசம் வழங்கப்பட்டது.  அவகாசம் முடிந்த நிலையில், ஜூன் 22-ஆம் தேதியில் இருந்து உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் சோதனை நடத்தி, தடை செய்யப்பட்ட போதைப் பொருள்கள், புகையிலைப் பொருள்களைப் பறிமுதல் செய்து வருகின்றனர். சேலம் மாநகரில் செவ்வாய்ப்பேட்டை, லீ பஜார், கடை வீதி, அன்னதானப்பட்டி உள்ளிட்ட பகுதிகளில் வியாபாரிகள், மொத்த வியாபாரிகளிடம் இருந்து புகையிலை, பாக்குகள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன.
 அதேபோல, மேட்டூர், ஆத்தூர், ஓமலூர் உள்ளிட்ட பகுதிகளிலும் சோதனை நடத்தப்படுகிறது. உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர் தலைமையில், உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் இந்த சோதனைகளை நடத்தி வருகின்றனர்.
இந்த நிலையில் செவ்வாய்ப்பேட்டை, சந்தைப்பேட்டை மெயின் ரோடு பகுதியில் புகையிலைப் பொருள்கள் பதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட்டிருப்பதாக மாவட்ட நிர்வாகத்துக்கு தகவல் கிடைத்தது.
அதன்பேரில், உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலர் அனுராதா தலைமையில் உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரிகள் சந்தைப்பேட்டை பகுதியில் உள்ள முருகானந்தம் என்பவருக்குச் சொந்தமான ஒரு கிடங்கில் திங்கள்கிழமை சோதனை செய்தனர். '
அப்போது, அதில் பதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த சுமார் ரூ.50 ஆயிரம் மதிப்புள்ள புகையிலைப் பொருள்கள், போதை பாக்குகள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன. தொடர்ந்து, கிடைத்த தகவலின்படி, மாலை செவ்வாய் பேட்டை பிரதானச் சாலையில் மொத்த விற்பனையாளர் கிடங்கில் உணவு பாதுகாப்பு நியமன அலுவலர் தலையிலான அலுவலர்கள் சோதனை செய்தனர். இதில் ரூ. 10 லட்சம் மதிப்பிலான புகையிலை, போதை பாக்குகள் போன்ற பொருள்கள் இருந்தது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டு பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன.
 இதுகுறித்து அனுராதா கூறியது:
சேலம் மாவட்டத்தில் கடந்த ஒரு மாதத்தில் நடைபெற்ற பல்வேறு சோதனைகள் மூலம் சுமார் ரூ.4 லட்சம் மதிப்புள்ள புகையிலைப் பொருள்களும், சுமார் ரூ.4 லட்சம் மதிப்புள்ள போதைப் பாக்குகளும் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டு அழிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன.
திங்கள்கிழமை காலை செவ்வாய்பேட்டையில் கிடங்கில் சோதனை செய்ததில், ரூ.50 ஆயிரம் மதிப்பிலான பொருள்களும், மாலை நடத்திய சோதனையில் ரூ.10 லட்சம் மதிப்பிலான பொருள்களும் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன.
 தடை செய்யப்பட்ட இந்தப் பொருள்களின் விற்பனை குறித்து பொதுமக்கள் அதிகாரிகளுக்கு தொடர்ந்து தகவல் தெரிவிக்கின்றனர். இதன் அடிப்படையில் சோதனைகள் நடத்தப்படுகின்றன. இந்த சோதனைகள் மேலும் தொடரும் என்றார் அவர்.

Banned pan masala products seized


Banned gutka and pan masala products seized by health officials being destroyed at Erumapalayam compost yard in Salem on Tuesday.– PHOTO: P. GOUTHAM
Banned gutka and pan masala products seized by health officials being destroyed at Erumapalayam compost yard in Salem on Tuesday
In a major drive against selling of banned gutka, panmasala, and other tobacco items, health officials on late Monday night seized goods worth Rs. 5 lakh kept in a godown for distribution.
A team led by T. Anuradha, District Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, along with health officers N. Tirumoorthy, Balu, and others raided the godown at Shevapet and found the items kept for wholesale distribution. Officials said that the wholesale distributor was warned twice against selling the banned items. Goods valued at Rs. 6,000 were seized in an earlier raid.
But he continued to sell the items despite the warnings. It was found that the godown was a major point for distribution across the district. “Since he is a repeated offender, a report will be sent to the Commissioner of Food Safety for taking further course of action,” Ms. Anuradha told The Hindu .
“Legal action will be initiated against him after receiving the go-ahead,” she added. The seized items burned at the Erumapalayam compost yard.
Health officials said that the raids would continue and action would be taken against rule violators.

சேலத்தில் இயங்கும் "ஃபாஸ்ட்ஃபுட்' கடைகளில் சுகாதாரமில்லை: பண மழையில் நனையும் சுகாதாரத்துறை அதிகாரிகள்

சேலம்: சேலம் மாநகராட்சியில், ரோட்டோர இறைச்சி கடைகளை தொடர்ந்து, உடல் நலத்துக்கு, தீங்கு விளைவிக்க கூடிய வகையில், தயார் செய்து விற்பனை செய்யப்படும், "ஃபாஸ்ட் ஃபுட்' கடைகளுக்கு, அதிகாரிகள், செக் வைப்பார்களா என்ற கேள்வி எழுந்துள்ளது.சேலம் மாநகராட்சியில், ஆடுகளை அறுக்க, வ.உ.சி., மார்க்கெட், மணியனூர் ஆகிய இடங்களில், இறைச்சி கூடாரங்கள் செயல்பட்டு வருகிறது. கறிக்கடை வியாபாரிகள், ஆடுகளை, இறைச்சி கூடாரங்களுக்கு அழைத்து வந்து, சுகாதாரத்துறை அதிகாரிகளின், அனுமதி பெற்று, அங்கேயே அறுத்து, கழிவுகளை அகற்றிவிட்டு, சுகாதாரமான முறையில், கறிகளை விற்பனை செய்ய வேண்டும்.
மாநகரில், இறைச்சி கடைகளின் எண்ணிக்கை புற்றீசல் போல அதிகரித்துள்ளது. இறைச்சி கடை நடத்தும் பலர், விதிமுறைக்கு புறம்பாக, ரோட்டிலேயே ஆடுகளை அறுத்து, சாக்கடை உள்ளிட்ட சுகாதாரசீர்கேடான இடங்களில், வைத்து விற்பனை செய்து வருகின்றனர்.சில்லி சிக்கன் என்ற பெயரில், தரமற்ற எண்ணெயில் பொரிக்கப்படும் சிக்கனை தொடர்ந்து விற்பனை செய்து வருகின்றனர். இவற்றை கண்காணிக்க வேண்டிய சுகாதாரத்துறை அதிகாரிகள், "பண மழையில்' நனைவதால், எந்தவித நடவடிக்கையும் எடுப்பதில்லை.சமீபத்தில், கறிக்கடைகள் குறித்து ஏராளமான புகார்கள் வந்தது. அதனால், மாநகராட்சி நிர்வாகம், அஸ்தம்பட்டியில் இருந்து ஐந்து ரோடு வரை, சுகாதாரமற்ற முறையில் இயங்கி வந்த, 100 க்கும் மேற்பட்ட கடைகளை அப்புறப்படுத்தியது. அங்கு விற்பனை செய்யப்பட்டு வந்த கறிகளும் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது."சுகாதாரமற்ற முறையில், தொடர்ந்து கறி விற்பனை செய்தால், அவர்கள் மீது ஒழுங்கு நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்' என, சுகாதாரத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் எச்சரிக்கை விடுத்தனர்.தற்போது, கறிக்கடைகளை காட்டிலும், "ஃபாஸ்ட் ஃபுட்' என்ற பெயரில், தரமற்ற வகையில் தயார் செய்யப்படும், கடைகளின் எண்ணிக்கை அதிகரித்துள்ளது, கடும் அதிர்ச்சியை ஏற்படுத்தியுள்ளது.ஃபாஸ்ட்ஃபுட் கடைகளில், கோபி மஞ்சூரியன், சில்லி கோபி, ஃபிரைடு ரைஸ், நூடுல்ஸ் என்று பல்வேறு வகையான உணவு வகைகள் தயார் செய்யப்படுகிறது. உடல் நலத்துக்கு தீங்கு விளைவிக்க கூடிய, அனைத்து வகையான உபகரணங்களும், இதில், சேர்க்கப்படுகிறது.இதனால், குழந்தைகள் முதல் பெரியவர் வரை, அனைவரும் பாதிக்கப்படுகின்றனர். மாநகரில், உணவுகளின் தரம் குறித்து ஆய்வு செய்ய வேண்டிய சுகாதாரத்துறை அதிகாரிகள், மாநகராட்சி அதிகாரிகள் யாரும் இதைப்பற்றி கண்டு கொள்வதில்லை.வணிக வளாகங்களில் மட்டும் செயல்பட்டு வந்த, "ஃபாஸ்ட் ஃபுட்' கடைகள், இன்று வீதிக்கு இரண்டாக முளைத்துள்ளது. முற்றிலும், சுகாதாரமற்ற முறையில், இயங்கி வரும் இவற்றையும், கறிக்கடைகளை அப்புறப்படுத்தியது போல, அகற்ற, சுகாதாரத்துறை அதிகாரிகள் முன் வருவார்களா என்ற கேள்வி எழுந்துள்ளது.இதுகுறித்து மாநகராட்சி நல அலுவலர் (பொறுப்பு) மலர்விழி கூறியதாவது:சுகாதாரமற்ற முறையில், ஃபாஸ்ட் ஃபுட் விற்பனை செய்வது குறித்து, உணவு பாதுகாப்பு அதிகாரி, அனுராதாவிடம் ஆலோசனை செய்துவிட்டு, உரிய நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும்.இவ்வாறு அவர் கூறினார்.

திருவாரூரில் ரூ. 1.5 லட்சம் மதிப்பிலான பான் மசாலா பொருள்கள் அழிப்பு

திருவாரூரில் செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை ரூ. 1.5 லட்சம் மதிப்பிலான குட்கா, பான் மசாலா பொருள்கள் அழிக்கப்பட்டன.
திருவாரூர் மாவட்டம், திருவாரூர், திருத்துறைப்பூண்டி, மன்னார்குடி, வலங்கைமான் உள்ளிட்ட பகுதிகளில் அரசால் தடை செய்யப்பட்ட குட்கா, பான் மசாலா பொருள்கள் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகின்றனவா என செவ்வாய்க்கிழமை சோதனை மேற்கொள்ளப்பட்டது.
சோதனையில், ரூ. 1.32 லட்சம் மதிப்பிலான புகையிலைப் பொருள்களும், வலங்கைமான் பகுதியில் ரூ. 18,000 மதிப்புள்ள 100 கிலோ எடையுள்ள கலப்பட டீ தூளும் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது.
பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட பொருள்கள் அனைத்தும் திருவாரூர் நெய்விளக்குத் தோப்பு பகுதியில் உள்ள குப்பைக் கிடங்கு பள்ளத்தில் போட்டு மாவட்ட ஆட்சியர் சி. நடராசன் முன்னிலையில் தீயிட்டு அழிக்கப்பட்டது. அப்போது நகராட்சித் தலைவர் வே. ரவிச்சந்திரன், புகையிலைப் பொருள்கள் அழிப்பு அலுவலர் ரமேஷ்பாபு ஆகியோர் உடனிருந்தனர்.
தகவல் தெரிவிக்கலாம்: பான் மசாலா, குட்கா பொருள்கள் விற்பனை செய்வது தெரியவந்தால் கீழ்காணும் தொலைபேசி எண்ணுக்குத் தொடர்புக் கொண்டு தகவல் தெரிவிக்கலாம்.
உணவுப் பாதுகாப்பு அலுவலகம் 0466-220034.
முத்துபேட்டை எஸ். அன்பழகன் 9443744811, கூத்தாநல்லூர், மன்னார்குடி கே. மணாழகன் 868980725, திருவாரூர் நகரம் எம். பால்சாமி 9894924690, திருவாரூர் வட்டம் எழில் சிக்காயராஜா 9865689838, மன்னார்குடி வட்டம் ரெங்கராஜன் 9361888388, குடவாசல் வட்டம் லோகநாதன் 9361984400, திருத்துறைப்பூண்டி வட்டம் விஜயகுமார் 9842307869,கோட்டூர் செல்வக்குமார் 9361444844, வலங்கைமான் எஸ். குருசாமி 9943331001, கொரடாச்சேரி, நீடாமங்கலம் செந்தில்குமார் 9788683354, நன்னிலம் லோகநாதன் 9842620977.

Consumerfed thattukadas to hit the streets soon


If you are a foodie, but wary of eating from thattukadas (roadside eateries on pushcarts) thanks to unhygienic environs and food safety concerns, then your wait should end in just over a month from now.
Consumerfed (Kerala State Co-operatives Consumers’ Federation Ltd.), the apex body of consumer co-operatives in the State, is all set to launch a chain of thattukadas under its brand name Triveni to provide quality food in a hygienic way.
“The first one will be launched at Gandhi Nagar in Kochi before Onam. If found successful, similar outlets will be opened gradually in all 140 Assembly constituencies in a year,” Consumerfed managing director Rigi G. Nair told The Hindu on Tuesday. The outlet at Gandhi Nagar will come up on the premises of Consumerfed’s head office.
Successful operation of Triveni Coffee Houses coupled with widespread food safety concerns prompted Consumerfed to launch the new initiative.
Triveni thattukadas aimed at reaching out to a larger customer base will have the traditional menu associated with other thattukadas in addition to light refreshments. Groceries for their preparation will be supplied from Consumerfed outlets.
Unlike conventional thattukadas that open in the evening and function late into the night, the Triveni outlets will operate from around 9.30 a.m. to 8.30 p.m. Besides they will be static units and not the usual pushcarts.
Consumerfed has already got a design of the outlet made in stainless steel by an Aroor-based factory approved. The structure will take up hardly 100 sq.ft. Solar panels will be installed on its roof to make it energy efficient.
“Setting up an outlet will cost about Rs. 5 lakh each. It will also provide employment to two persons. They are not being set up with profit motive but as a market intervention to serve quality food to the public. Since huge investments are not involved, we are sure that they will easily break-even,” Mr. Nair said.
Consumerfed is yet to reach a decision on who should be entrusted with the operation of its thattukadas. As a means of self- employment, it will most likely be outsourced to unemployed persons with reasonable know-how of cooking. Besides, direct operation of thattukadas is likely to create bureaucratic hassles, including in appointments. “Consumerfed will reserve the right to closely monitor the functioning of thattukadas. We will create a special wing with managers of each region being given charge to inspect their operations at least once in a month,” Mr. Nair said.

Mangoes destroyed

Three hundred kilograms of artificially ripened mangoes and 200 kg of rotten mangoes kept for preparing juice were seized and destroyed here on Tuesday.
M.Kavikumar, Designated Officer, District Food Safety Wing, said he and his team of officials, raided three godowns and found mangoes being artificially ripened with carbide stones.
They seized the fruits weighing 300 kg and destroyed them.

FSSAI is open to help industry, find solutions under FSSA: Chandramouli

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is ready to help the industry and find solutions but of course under the ambit of the Food Safety and Standards Act asserted K Chandramouli, chairperson, FSSAI, at a seminar on Food Safety Regulations in India organised by PHD Chamber in the capital on Tuesday.
He added that a collaborative approach needed to be adopted for implementation of the Act. Implementation is a huge challenge and multi-sectoral synergies are needed to penetrate it to the smallest Food Business Operator (FBO).
He stated that FSSAI was trying to setup a system in order to improve the efficiency and get better implementation as per the Act.
He said, “With the passage of time, the regulation will keep on tightening which will include transportation, packaging, warehousing etc. He said that implementation has to be carried out with proper system in place and with the help of state government. He finally said that periodic meeting and interactions can be organised in order to improve the system.”
B N Dixit, director (legal metrology), ministry of consumer affairs, said that already they had amended the packaged commodity rules. The industry definitely needs to abide by them.
Sharad Jaipuria, senior VP, PHD Chamber, in his welcome address emphasised, “Despite producing and processing food, one of the prime responsibility that lies with the processors is to produce safe and healthy food. The policy-makers’ task is to make and implement laws and regulations that may enable production of safe food. Also with innovative products like nutraceuticals, functional foods etc., the regulations need to be in place.”
N M Kejriwal, chairman, agribusiness committee, PHD Chamber, during his theme presentation emphasised on the major problems that were being faced by the industry like licensing, labelling and product approval.

Tourism unit registration Act on the anvil

Dehradun, July 30
The Uttarakhand government is contemplating bringing a tourism unit registration Act, making registration compulsory for those engaged in the hospitality and tourism industry.
All those persons engaged in hospitality and tourism industry will have to provide information about their mode of operation.
The complete data base would help the Tourism Department determine the fares being charged by hoteliers and tour operators.
Besides, under the new Food Safety and Standards Act the food licence for restaurants and dhabas has to be procured from the state Food Safety and Standard Authority. “The Act is still being prepared and it will be first brought before the Cabinet and then tabled in the legislative Assembly,” said a senior official.

Jul 29, 2013

MAALAI MALAR


TNFS DEPT. - DHARMAPURI DIST. NEWS




Halwais, shopkeepers made aware

Jammu, July 28: An awareness meeting was organsied by Karyana & Halwai Union Ramgarh at Vimal Muni Collage Ramgarh in coordination with Food Safety & Health Dept officers. Speaking on occasion Rajan Kapoor (DO), Dalip Singh (FSO Samba) briefed prominent businessmen of Ramgarh about necessity of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. 
They stressed shopkeepers for obtaining the FSSA license, cleanness on shop, tiling and water purifier at all kind of hotel and sweet shops. They also instructed shopkeeper not to sell loose items and assure batch number, manufacture address, MFD & expiry date, weight & MRP of the product. Ex-Bepor Mandal President Narinder Kumar Gupta advised shopkeepers to issue proper VAT Bill to consumer for whatever they sell and also take VAT Bill during purchases & keep a proper record of sales & purchases. 
The meeting was attended by 100 shopkeepers of Ramgarh, Raj Kumar, Bal Chander, Parshotam, Raj Kumar, Bodh Raj, Pinka Kumar, Yash Paul and others.

Midday meal fiasco: primary inquiry rules out food poisoning

But the bakery that supplied bread has been ordered to shut shop

After urgently responding to the reports that 20 students from a Pernem school in north Goa were admitted to a hospital on Saturday morning for suspected food poisoning from consuming the midday meal, the Goa Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Saturday evening ruled that there did not appear any significant case of food poisoning from the initial investigation and report of the Primary Health Centre (PHC) Pernem Medical officer.
However, a bakery in the neighbourhood, which supplied bread along with the said midday meal, was ordered to close down as it was found to be unlicensed and operating in extremely unhygienic conditions, said Director of FDA Salim Veljee on Saturday evening.
This was the second bakery to be shut down by FDA after a bakery was closed down in south Goa on Friday in the course of the on-going FDA inspection of midday meal supplies across the State.
Mr. Veljee told The Hindu on Saturday evening that a sample of the food had been taken for analysis and the FDA would have to wait for its outcome before reaching any conclusion.
Narrating the sequence of events on Saturday, he said that after receiving a call from the Health officer, PHC Pernem informing that 19 secondary school students of Sri Kamleshwari High School, Korgaon, had been admitted to their PHC with complaints of abdomen pain upon the consumption of midday meal ‘Bhaji – Pao’ served to them at their school, he rushed his food inspectors to the school.
The students were admitted around 12 noon to PHC Pernem for medical attention and after keeping them under observation all the 19 students were discharged around 2 p.m. the same afternoon.
The PHC Doctor in-charge also informed Mr. Veljee that the case did not appear to be of food poisoning as the students were not manifesting the symptoms of food poisoning.
Instead, two of the students had fever the day before and they too complained of the same symptoms. Mr. Veljee said that FDA food safety officers Abel Rodrigues and Flavia DeSouza visited the PHC and took a statement from the doctor and thereafter visited the school authorities and obtained a statement from Headmaster Dharma Shetye who informed them that the ‘Bhaji – pao’ was supplied by Brahmanand Charia SHG (self-help group) located at Pechawado, Korgaon, Pernem.
The SHG had supplied the said food not only to that school, but also to two other schools.
Both these schools had not reported any such event upon consumption of the same food.
The samples drawn from the food made available at the school, which was specifically kept for FDA surveillance purposes by the school authorities after the incident would be analysed only on Monday, said Mr. Veljee.
Thereafter, the FDA food safety officers inspected the SHG premises at Korgaon, Pernem and there were no defects observed nor any quantity of either the said food or any other raw foodmaterials were available for lifting for analysis.
The FDA Director recalled that the same SHG was also inspected by the FDA Officers on Friday only during their inspection drive and no defects had been found then either.
In shambles
Thereafter, the officers visited the bakery from where the bread had been procured and supplied with the said midday meal and found that the bakery was really in shambles and un-hygienic and also did not possess any FDA food safety licence and hence it was ordered to be shut down immediately and the owner Anita Nimbalkar was directed not to commence any operation till the bakery was put in total order and licence obtained from FDA.

  • ‘It did not appear to be a food poisoning case as there were no pertinent symptoms’
  • A sample of the food was taken for analysis; FDA will wait for the report: Veljee

  • Medical student dies of suspected food poisoning


    Rejitha Rajeev, who died of suspected food poisoning in the city on Saturday  

    She had eaten biryani from a hotel at Kazhakuttam
    An 18-year old-girl from Ulloor died in the city on Saturday of suspected food poisoning after she had chicken biryani from a hotel at Kazhakuttam.
    According to the police, Rejitha Rajeev, who dined at the restaurant with her family on Friday night, had ordered biryani. Her family members ordered other dishes.
    Rejitha, a second-year medical student in Puducherry, complained of discomfort at 11.30 a.m. on Saturday and was taken to a private hospital in Ulloor.
    When her situation worsened, she was shifted to the medical college hospital, where she died around 1.30 p.m.
    Complaint filed
    Her parents, who are doctors, alleged that the girl had shown discomfort and signs of food poisoning after the family had dined at the Halais Dum Biriyani in Kazhakuttam.
    They have registered a complaint with the police against the hotel.
    Medical College Circle Inspector S. Nazurudeen said the case could be confirmed only after examining results of medical tests. “If it was a case of food poisoning, the girl should have shown discomfort at least four hours after the food was consumed. But she showed no such signs until Saturday morning. We are not sure it was case of food poisoning. We will wait for the medical reports,” said Mr. Nazurudeen.
    The police inspected the hotel and collected feedback from customers who were at the hotel on Friday.
    District Food Safety Officer D. Sivakumar told The Hindu that following the police complaint, an inspection was conducted at the hotel and its licence had been suspended till the investigation was completed.
    “We did not find the hotel unhygienic. However, we have collected samples of raw materials used for making the chicken biryani at the hotel. The hotel has been following all rules till now,” he said.
    In Balaramapuram
    Twelve persons fell ill at the Sree Ramakrishna School near Balaramapuram on Saturday after consuming food ordered from an eatery here.
    The food was brought from Arafa Hotel for a Parent Teacher Association (PTA) function that was organised at the school.
    Three children and eight teachers complained of stomach cramps and vomiting. According to an official at the Balaramapuram Primary Health Centre, a teacher was administered IV drip and released from the PHC in the evening.
    The hotel was closed pending notice from food safety officials. The owner was brought to the Balaramapuram police station.

    Medical student dies of suspected food poisoning

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a suspected case of food poisoning, a 19-year-old medical student died at medical college hospital here on Saturday evening.
    Rajitha Rajeev, a second year MBBS student in JIPMER, Puducherry, was admitted to a private hospital on Saturday noon due to severe diarrhoea and vomiting.
    Sensing her condition as serious, she was referred to medical college. Rajitha was unconscious while she was admitted to the ICU at Medical College around 1.15pm. Soon she died.
    According to medical college police, the girl and her parents had food from Halais Biriyani, an eatery in Kazhakoottam, on Friday night.
    "As per the complaint of girl's uncle, we have registered a case under Section 174 of CrPC. The girl reportedly had chicken biriyani while her parents ate appam and vegetable curry at around 7pm. The girl started having diarrhoea and vomiting," the police said.
    The food safety officials inspected the hotel and temporarily suspended its licence. The officials collected samples of raw materials which were used to prepare food.
    As many as 17 samples were collected which were sent to Govt Analytical Lab on Saturday night.
    According to designated officer of food safety department D Sivakumar, the hotel was working in a hygienic condition. "The kitchen was at another place. Both the hotel and kitchen were operating in good condition. We can't confirm food poison unless we get a medical report," he said.
    The food safety department has not registered case under Food Safety and Standards Act as there was no evidence to prove food poisoning.
    Another incident in school
    In Balaramapuram, 12 students and teachers of Sree Ramakrishna Public School have been admitted to a hospital due to suspected food poisoning. The condition of a student was stated to be critical.
    The students and teachers fell ill after having packed lunch bought from Arafa Hotel. The outlet's owner Imamuddin has been arrested.

    Cheap food vs death by poisoning: India's food dilemma

    Villagers dig graves to bury the school children who died after consuming contaminated meals given to them at a school on Tuesday at Chapra district, in the Bihar on July 17, 2013. The Indian government announced on Thursday it would set up an inquiry into the quality of food given to school pupils in a nationwide free meal scheme after at least 23 children died in one of the deadliest outbreaks of mass poisoning in years. REUTERS
     Nearly a decade ago, the Indian government ruled out a ban on the production and use of monocrotophos, the highly toxic pesticide that killed 23 children this month in a village school providing free lunches under a government-sponsored programme.

    Despite being labelled highly hazardous by the World Health Organisation (WHO), a panel of government experts was persuaded by manufacturers that monocrotophos was cheaper than alternatives and more effective in controlling pests that decimate crop output.

    India, which has more hungry mouths to feed than any other country in the world, continues to use monocrotophos and other highly toxic pesticides that rich and poor nations alike, including China, are banning on health grounds.

    Although the government argues the benefits of strong pesticides outweigh the hazards if properly managed, the school food poisoning tragedy underlined criticism such controls are virtually ignored on the ground.

    According to the minutes, the 2004 meeting conducted by the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee, the Indian government body that regulates pesticide use, concluded that: "The data submitted by the industry satisfies the concerns raised...Therefore, there is no need to recommend the ban of this product."

    The minutes of the meeting can be read here: http://cibrc.nic.in/248rc.doc

    Government scientists continue to defend the pesticide, and insist the decision to not ban it remains good.

    Just weeks before the school tragedy in Bihar state, the Indian government advised farmers via text message to use monocrotophos to kill borer pests in mandarin fruits and rice, records on the agricultural meteorology division's web site show.

    "It is cost effective and it is known for its efficacy ... some even call it a benevolent pesticide," said T. P. Rajendran, assistant director general for plant protection at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research.

    "I can say that pesticides currently permitted in the country are safe provided they are used as per specifications and guidelines. We have exhaustive and detailed guidelines. They need to be followed."


    A senior official directly involved in the decision-making on pesticide use said: "You have got to understand that all pesticides are toxic but they are essential for maintaining or increasing agricultural production.

    "Can we afford to lose 15-25 percent of output? One cannot afford to lose such a large percentage of agricultural produce. The answer lies in judicious use."

    The official declined to be identified.

    The WHO has cited a 2007 study that about 76,000 people die each year in India from pesticide poisoning. Many of the deaths are suicides made easy by the wide availability of toxic pesticides.

    15 PAGES OF REGULATIONS

    In the school tragedy, police suspect the children's lunch was cooked in oil that was stored in a used container of monocrotophos.

    The Indian government has issued 15 pages of regulations that need to be followed when handling pesticides - including wearing protective clothing and using a respirator when spraying. Pesticide containers should be broken when empty and not left outside in order to prevent them being re-used.

    But in a nation where a quarter of the 1.2 billion population is illiterate and vast numbers live in far-flung rural districts, implementation is almost impossible. For instance, monocrotophos is banned for use on vegetable crops, but there is no way to ensure the rule is followed.

    According to the WHO, swallowing 1,200 milligrams - less than a teaspoon - of monocrotophos can be fatal to humans. In 2009, it called for India to ban the product because of its extreme toxicity.

    "It is imperative to consider banning the use of monocrotophos," it said in a 60-page report. "The perception that monocrotophos is cheap and necessary, have prevented the product from being taken off the market" in India.

    WHO officials say the school tragedy reinforces the dangers of the pesticide.

    "We would advocate that countries restrict, ban, or phase out...those chemicals for which they can't ensure that all aspects of use are safe," said Lesley Onyon, WHO's South-East Asia regional adviser for chemical safety. "If they can't ensure safety, it's our policy to say that these chemical or pesticides shouldn't be used."

    Indian government officials refuse to address the WHO's findings directly.

    "We have to take decisions depending on our need, our priorities, and our requirements. No one knows these things better than us," said the government source.


    NATIONAL PRIORITY

    For India, providing more food to its people is a national priority. According to the World Bank, nearly 400 million people in the country live on less than $1.25 per day.

    Nearly half its children under five are malnourished.

    The Bihar school where the children died was participating in the government's midday meal programme, aimed at giving 120 million school pupils a free lunch - both providing nutrition and encouraging education. India is also close to implementing an ambitious plan to provide cheap food to 800 million people.

    Central to these efforts will be higher crop yields and managing costs.

    According to government officials and manufacturers, monocrotophos is cheap and is also a broad spectrum pesticide that can only be replaced by four or five crop- or pest-specific pesticides. Even similar pesticides are much more expensive.

    A 500 ml monocrotophos bottle sold by Godrej Agrovet, a subsidiary of Godrej Industries, is priced at 225 rupees ($3.75), while an alternative, Imidacloprid, in a bottle of 500 ml produced by Bayer, costs 1,271 rupees.

    Monocrotophos is banned by many countries, including the United States, the European Union nations, China, and, among India's neighbours, Pakistan. Sri Lanka only allows monocrotophos use for coconut cultivation.

    One of the two companies that argued against the ban on monocrotophos in 2004 halted production five years later under pressure from the public in its home country, Denmark.

    Cheminova, a unit of Auriga Industries, said it stopped producing monocrotophos in India in 2009 and converted its plant to produce a low-toxic fungicide.

    "We decided to phase out monocrotophos because with many alternative products, we could not see any reason to have such a toxic product in a country like India," Lars-Erik Pedersen, vice-president of Auriga Industries, told Reuters in Copenhagen.

    "It was a big decision because it is one of the best-selling products in India," he added.

    The other manufacturer that made a presentation at the 2004 meeting was United Phosphorus, currently the biggest producer of the pesticide in the country.

    Managing Director Rajju D. Shroff told Reuters that monocrotophos was "very harmless," and hinted calls for a ban were aimed at helping multinationals sell more costly alternatives.

    "Companies want to sell new pesticides. If they have monocrotophos, farmers will not change to new, expensive ones," said Shroff, who attended the meeting as the head of the Crop Care Federation of India, a position he still holds.

    NOT MOST TOXIC

    Historically, India appears reluctant to ban pesticides. Monocrotophos isn't the most toxic pesticide used in the country, according to the WHO's classifications. Phorate, methyl parathion, bromadiolone and phosphamidon, all classified as extremely hazardous, are likewise registered for use.

    And endosulfan - a substance so nasty the United Nations wants it eliminated worldwide - was banned only by a Supreme Court order in 2011. The decision came a few months after the chief minister of the southern state of Kerala, the top elected official, went on a day-long hunger fast to demand the ban.

    According to media reports, over 1,000 people were killed and hundreds born deformed because of indiscriminate aerial spraying of endosulfan in Kasargod, a Kerala district.

    Both production of monocrotophos and demand in India was higher in 2009/10 than in 2005/06, according to latest available government data. It accounted for about 4 percent of total pesticide use in 2009/10 and 7 percent of production.

    Its share in total sales is about 2-3 percent now, according to the Pesticides Manufacturers & Formulators Association, which says it represents the industry on a national basis with over 250 members.

    The Centre for Science and Environment, a leading environmental NGO in India, says the state of pesticide control in the country is deplorable and companies have great influence.

    "The story on the ground is abysmal, it's very disappointing," said Amit Khurana, programme manager in the CSE's food safety and toxins unit.

    "People still do not know how much of pesticide is to be used, which pesticide is to be used for which crop. The biggest influence for a farmer is the sales representative of the company ... so there's this sense of gross mismanagement at that level."

    The government has tried to introduce legislation for "more effective regulation of import, manufacture, export, sale, transport, distribution and use of pesticides" but the bill has languished in parliament since 2008.

    India is no stranger to the dangers of pesticides. Besides the thousands killed each year, the country suffered the world's worst industrial disaster when lethal methyl isocyanate gas leaked from a pesticide plant in the city of Bhopal in 1984, killing nearly 4,500 people.

    But in the fields of rural India, pesticides like monocrotophos continue to be widely used.

    "I have been using it for the last 10 years, I have a very good experience," said Gaiyabhu Patil, a 56-year-old farmer who has just finished spraying monocrotophos on his 15-acre cotton crop in the western state of Maharashtra. "It is cheap and effective."

    Anil Dhole, a pesticide vendor in Koregaon, a district town southeast of Mumbai at the centre of a sugarcane and cotton growing region, said few of his customers took health warnings seriously.

    "Many farmers don't take the necessary precautions while applying the pesticide. We do inform them about its toxic nature, but they take it casually," he said "Farmers don't even bother to cover their noses."

    Jul 27, 2013

    DINAKARAN NEWS




    DINAMALAR NEWS




    தாராபுரம் பஸ் நிலைய கடைகளில் அதிகாரிகள் அதிரடி ஆய்வு காலவாதியான குளிர்பானங்கள், பிஸ்கட்டுகள் பறிமுதல்

    தாராபுரம் பஸ் நிலையத்தில் உள்ள பெட்டிக்கடை, டீக்கடைகளில் அதிகாரிகள் அதிரடி சோதனை மேற்கொண்டனர். சோதனையில் காலாவதியான குளிர்பானங்கள், தண்ணீர் பாட்டில்கள், பிஸ்கட்டுகளை பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டது.
    காலவாதியான பொருட்கள்
    தாராபுரம் பஸ் நிலையத்திற்கு தினமும் 500–க்கும் மேற்பட்ட பஸ்கள் வந்து செல்கின்றன. இதனால் பஸ் நிலையத்தில் பயணிகள் கூட்டம் அலைமோதும். பயணிகள் கூட்டத்தை கணக்கில் கொண்டு தாராபுரம் பஸ் நிலையத்தில் உள்ள கடைகளை போட்டிபோட்டு ஏலம் எடுத்து கடை நடத்தி வருகிறார்கள்.
    இந்த பஸ் நிலையத்திற்கு வெளியூர் பயணிகள் அதிக எண்ணிக்கையில் வந்து செல்வதால் பஸ் நிலைய கடைகளில் விற்பனை செய்யப்படும் தண்ணீர் பாட்டில்கள், குளிர்பானங்கள், பிஸ்கட்டுகள், மற்றும் இதர பலகாரங்கள் தரமற்றதாகவும், தேதி காலவதியானதாக இருப்பதாகவும் நகராட்சி ஆணையாளர் சரவணக்குமாருக்கு புகார் வந்தது.
    அதிரடி ஆய்வு
    இதையடுத்து ஆணையாளர் சரவணக்குமார் தலைமையில் நகராட்சி நகரமைப்பு ஆய்வாளர் அறிவுடைநம்பி, சுகாதார ஆய்வாளர் பழனிச்சாமி மற்றும் வெங்கடேஷ் ஆகியோர் நேற்று மாலை 5 மணிக்கு தாராபுரம் பஸ் நிலையத்திற்கு சென்றனர்.
    பின்னர் ஒவ்வொரு கடைக்கும் சென்று அங்கு விற்பனை செய்யப்படும் குளிர்பானங்கள், பிஸ்கட்டுகளை ஆய்வு செய்தனர். அப்போது பெரும்பாலான கடைகளில் விற்பனைக்கு வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த குடிநீர் பாட்டில்களில் தேதி காலவதியாகி இருப்பதும், குடிநீரின் நிறம் மாறி இருப்பதும் அவற்றை பயணிகளிடம் ஏமாற்றி விற்பனை செய்து வந்ததும் தெரியவந்தது. இதையடுத்து அவற்றை நகராட்சி அலுவலர்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.
    பிஸ்கட்டுகள் பறிமுதல்
    மேலும் விற்பனைக்கு வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த ரஸ்க், பிஸ்கட்டுகளில் கடந்த ஜனவரி மாதமே தேதி காலவதியாகி இருந்தது. சிலவற்றில் தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட தேதி எதுவும் இல்லை. இதையடுத்து அவற்றை நகராட்சி அலுவலர்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்தனர்.
    சிலகடைகளில் வைக்கப்பட்டிருந்த குளிர்பானங்கள் மற்றும் தயிர் பாக்கெட்டுகளில் துர்நாற்றம் வீசியது. அவற்றையும் விற்பனைக்கு வைத்திருப்பது கண்டுபிடிக்கப்பட்டது. இதையடுத்து கடைக்காரர்களை எச்சரிக்கை செய்த ஆணையாளர் அவற்றை பறிமுதல் செய்தார். பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்ட பொருட்கள் நகராட்சி குப்பை கிடங்கிற்கு கொண்டு செல்லப்பட்டு கொட்டப்பட்டு அழிக்கப்பட்டது.
    இது குறித்து நகராட்சி ஆணையாளர் கூறும் போது:–
    பஸ் நிலைய கடைகளில் விற்பனை செய்யப்படும் பிஸ்கட்டுகள், குளிர்பானங்கள், குடிநீர் பாட்டில்கள் மற்றும் அனைத்து பொருட்களிலும் தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட தேதி, காலவதியாகும் தேதி கட்டாயம் குறித்து இருக்க வேண்டும். லேபிள் இல்லாத பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்படுவதுடன் கடைக்காரர்களுக்கு அபராதம் விதித்து குற்றவியல் நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்படும் என்றார்.

    Noon meal staff told to adhere to new norms

    The government has now made it mandatory for noon meal centre organisers, cooks and their assistants to taste the food before serving it to the students, said V. Sampath, District Collector.
    In the wake of recent incidents in Bihar and Neyveli, Mr. Sampath convened a meeting of the noon meal centre organisers and gave them elaborate guidelines for effective functioning of the centres.
    For fulfilling the objectives of the noon-meal scheme which included nurturing the physical and mental health of the students, they ought to adhere to the well stipulated norms, he said.
    Report promptly
    It has been made compulsory for the organisers to report for duty at 9am and stay put at the centres till 2pm. They should leave the centres only after all the students took their meals and after getting the permission of the respective headmaster/headmistress.
    Rice and sambhar should be served one after another and each student should be given a full boiled egg.
    The eggs ought to be boiled at 70 degree Centigrade for 15-minute duration and only after removing the shell, it should be handed over to the students.
    The rotten or spoiled eggs should be sorted out and duly disposed of.
    The Collector put the onus on the staff on checking the quality of ingredients such as rice, pulses and vegetables. On no account cooking should be done under a tree or served to students under a tree.
    Water stagnation in the vicinity of the centres should not be allowed. Indent for the month’s requirements of the essential commodities should be accurately prepared 45 days in advance and submitted to the respective Panchayat Union offices. Above all, the staff should keep the samples of the food prepared for the day in glass containers and it should be disposed of only on the next day.
    Asking the staff to follow these guidelines scrupulously, he warned that any minor lapses on their part would attract disciplinary action.

    Your bhel poori is set to get a brand

    Street food vendors' association to form company to market their product themselves.
    The National Association of Street Food Vendors of India demonstrated the global appeal of Indian street food when it sent four street vendors to the World Street Food Congress in Singapore recently.
    The National Association of Street Food Vendors of India demonstrated the global appeal of Indian street food when it sent four street vendors to the World Street Food Congress in Singapore recently.
    Harassed by police personnel and food safety inspectors and denied of support from the government, street food vendors have decided to take matters in their hands and form a company in which they will be shareholders, and through which they will create street-food brands and market the food themselves.

    “FabIndia will be the model for the company,” said Sangita Singh, programme manager of the National Association of Street Food Vendors of India (NASVI), an organisation of 461,000 street vendors from all over India which is promoting the company. “The weavers have a stake in FabIndia and this has helped to increase their livelihood and their business. We want to replicate this model for street-food vendors,” she explained.

    At a consultation on professionalising street food held in New Delhi on Thursday, several speakers spoke of the universal appeal of street food — of how people from every class and age patronise street food despite fears of poor hygiene. As proof they pointed to five star hotels, which have begun to organise street food festivals, and to food courts in malls, which have begun to sell jhaal moori and gol-gappas, once sold only by street vendors. Recently, NASVI also demonstrated the global appeal of Indian street food when it sent four street vendors to the World Street Food Congress in Singapore.

    The street food vendors’ company, which will be registered in end-August, said Singh, will have a 49% stake by the vendors, each of whom will put up a start-up capital of Rs one lakh. Already, 151 vendors have expressed an interest in becoming a part of the company. Besides, NASVI will also invite those who support the street food vendors to buy shares for as little as Rs 100. This will be the holding company which at a later stage, said Singh, will have separate subsidiary companies set up by vendors in different regions, or of a particular kind of food.

    Question raised on fitness of local made ice-creams No equipments available for testing its hygienic aspects

    Imphal, July 26 2013 : With the ice-creams being sold by non-locals in the State reportedly found to be made in unhygienic conditions and no equipments available to test its hygienic aspects, it is feared that these products may be hazardous to human consumption.
    Addressing media persons in this regard at the office of DESAM here today, M Angamba, Convener of Student's Wing of Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS), informed that the volunteers of the Students Wing went to inspect some of the places in Imphal like BT Road, Rupmahal Tank and Masjid Road where ice -creams are made by non-locals.
    During the course of the inspection, it was found that the places where the ice-creams are being made are unclean and unhygienic.
    The utensils used in making the ice-creams are also found to be rusted and unfit to be used.
    He further stated that when the samples of the ice-creams which were sold by non-Manipuris were collected from different parts of Imphal area and taken to the State Food Testing Laboratory, the officials of the laboratory refused to take the samples saying that there are no equipments to test ice-creams.
    There were also only two staffs in the Medical Directorate, Lamphelpat, when the volunteers of the Students Wing approached.
    The guidelines of the Food Safety and Standard Act are never being followed in the State and it is because of this that a number of non-Manipuris have rushed into the State and are producing and selling various food products at their own discretion.
    Giving such opportunities them is also one of the main reasons for the increasing number of non-Manipuris in the State, Angamba asserted.
    He further maintained that those non-Manipuris producing and selling ice-creams in the heart of Imphal city do not possess the valid license issued by the concerned authority.
    As such, it is not known what ingredients are being used while making ice-cream and whether the ingredients used are fit for human consumption.
    So, it is feared that these ice-creams may not be fit for human consumption at all.
    Members of AMSU, DESAM, KSO, SUK, etc, were also present during the press conference.

    Check the quality of bread before supplying to schools, SHGs told

    School authorities have been urged to taste the meals before serving them to students

    At the end of inspection of premises of 15 more self-help groups (SHGs) engaged in the supply of mid-day meals on Friday, the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), Goa, has issued an advisory to all SHG's to inspect the bakeries from where they procure the bread and check the quality of bread before it is supplied to the children under the mid-day meal scheme.
    Giving the details of Friday's inspection report, FDA Director Salim Veljee, told The Hindu in the evening that timely intervention of the FDA inspection team in Salcete had averted a possible mishap wherein sub-standard bread would have been supplied to at least eight schools.
    In continuation of its drive of surprise inspection of the various SHG's engaged in the supply of mid-day meals to the schools in State, the FDA on Friday inspected premises situated at Peernem, Horgaon, Harmal, Parsem, Aldona, Sattari, Margao, Aquem, Navelim, Davorlim, Cuncolim, and Chandor.
    Simultaneously, the Directorate of Education on Friday stated that it had taken all the necessary precautions and instructions were issued to SHGs and Mahila Mandals (MMs),women’s groups to supply safe and hygienic mid-day meals.
    An official of the Education Department said that FDA had now been requested to inspect the kitchens of the SHGs and MMs regularly and the taluk ADEI’s had been directed to ensure that the school authorities test and taste the meal before serving it to students.
    The Directorate of Education had also cautioned the public and parents not to panic by the rumours concerning mid-day meals following FDA's report that no adulteration was found in the samples of food in mid-day meal supplies to St. Joseph High School, Usgao, recently contrary to a complaint lodged in this regard by school with the police.
    Speaking to The Hindu about the inspections carried out on the premises of SHGs cooking food, across the State on Friday, Mr. Veljee said that only minor lapses were observed in the overall cleanliness in raw material storage, non-availability of sanitary health cards of food handlers, exhaust fan availability in kitchen, insectocutors to ensure that the area was free of flies and insects, etc., and these SHG's had been directed under improvement notices to rectify the defects within a week and submit their compliance report to the Directorate.
    With Friday’s inspection drive, the FDA had inspected 76 SHG premises in the State and the balance SHG's located in Bardez, Porvorim, Nerul, shall be completed on Saturday, said Mr. Veljee.
    He disclosed that all these surprise inspections had been carried out early morning 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. to witness and verify the actual cooking activities as well as practices adopted by such SHG's in cooking of the midday food.
    One SHG of Gram Darshan Prathisthan of Suresh Zarekar at Suregali, Sattari in north Goa was getting his order of mid-day meals being prepared at an alternative premises 8 km away from his regular authorised licensed premises (Suregali) at another premises at Savashe, Sattari.
    As the alternative premises had no FDA licence under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, the SHG was directed to immediately stop the cooking activity at that un-licensed premises and revert back to his licensed premises or face suspension of his activity.
    FDA report revealed that Ganesh SHG at Davorlim, Salcete in south Goa, was supplying bread along with the midday meal food. Bread was procured from a local bakery of Anthony Dias (Ashok bakery) at Vasudev Nagar, Zariwaddo, Margao and the said bakery upon inspection was found to be in an unhygienic condition and thus the activity of the said bakery was immediately shut down for further operation by the FDA officials.
    Stale bread
    As the bread that was procured from that bakery by Ganesh SHG to be supplied to eight schools in Salcete taluk was found to be infested with fungus and not fit for consumption and immediately the FDA officials directed the Ganesh SHG to stop the supply of the bread with his midday food.
    The FDA team informed the Education Department Salcete in-charge, ADEI to direct the SHG to make an alternative arrangement of good quality bread for school children and accordingly the said SHG provided sliced bread with the food to the schools.
    The FDA shall in the next few days complete the inspection and verification of the remaining premises of the SHG’s, said Mr. Veljee.

  • FDA has been requested to inspect the kitchens of the SHGs and MMs regularly
  • ‘Only minor lapses were observed in the overall cleanliness of kitchens’
  • Indo-US trade can be mutually beneficial, say dairy exporters

    At a time when is struggling to consistently meet its growing domestic dairy demand, Indo-US bilateral trade can be mutually beneficial, American dairy exporters today said while applauding US Vice President Joe Biden for taking up their cause during his just-concluded trip to New and .
    "US dairy exporters believe that trade between the United States and India can be mutually beneficial, particularly as India struggles to consistently meet its growing domestic dairy demand," said Tom Suber, president of US Dairy Exporter Council.
    "As the US and India reengage in talks aimed at improving bilateral trade, we must ensure that a focus on the importance of safe and accurately labelled food remains at the core of discussions on agricultural trade," he said.
    In a joint statement, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the US Dairy Export Council (USDEC) applauded Biden's remarks calling for expanded trade between India and the US, during a speech in Mumbai.
    He also pointed to the need to negotiate and work through barriers to market access, among other trade priorities.
    "For far too long, a wide range of US dairy products have been effectively locked out of the Indian market without sound scientific justification," Suber said.
    "US dairy products are sold in over 100 markets around the world and are well known for their high level of food safety. We look forward to renewed discussions with India on how to remove inappropriate barriers to market access for safe products," he said.
    "As we focus on tearing down unwarranted trade barriers so that our industry can continue to grow, it is equally important to ensure that we also maintain a strong focus on food safety and product integrity," said Jim Mulhern, chief operating officer of NMPF.
    "US dairy products have an excellent track record in this area while India's own government has found serious problems with a majority of its own dairy products," he added.
    In early 2012, NMPF called the US Food and Drug Administration's attention to a study conducted by the Indian Food Safety and Standards Authority that found that 68 per cent of milk samples analysed did not meet Indian standards.
    "Given these alarming findings, we believed it was important for FDA to determine if adulterated dairy products in India were entering the US market," Mulhern stated.
    "We are gratified that FDA agreed that concern is warranted and this summer put in place an import alert on certain dairy products from India," he said.
    The FDA import alert calls for the detention of specified dairy products from certain Indian exporters and requires further documentation to ensure that the products are complying with US regulations designed to protect food safety.

    Five Fazilka firms flunk tests for quality, penalised

    Fazilka, July 26
    Five firms of Fazilka district have been penalised by Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC)-cum-Food Safety Officer Charandev Singh Maan for violating Food Safety and Standard Act, 2006.
    Food inspector Kanwaljit Singh said the department had taken samples of food items from different firms of the district. Out of which, eatables of five firms failed to qualify the standard test.
    The outcome of the samples was produced before the ADC. He imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 each on Dalip Dairy, Abohar, Golden Dragon Restaurant, Jalalabad, and Vinod Kumar of Bhagu village of Abohar sub-division.
    Besides, he also imposed a fine of Rs 4,000 each on Tarntarni Dhaba, Abohar, and Ravindra Dairy, Fazilka, as the samples taken from their business establishments could not qualify the standard test.
    The ADC warned these firms to sell quality items by adhering to the Food Safety and Standard Act failing which they would be dealt with sternly.
    The food inspector said that the department also took samples of mid-day meal from schools and suppliers. Two samples of mid-day meal each from Government Primary School, Rampura village, Government High School, Banwala Hanuwanta village, and Stri Shakti, the supplier of mid-day meal in the Jalalabad area, have been taken.
    “District education officer, Fazilka, have been asked to personally check mid-day meal regularly,” Maan added.

    Jul 26, 2013

    DINAKARAN NEWS






    10 mineral water brands fail quality test

    Lab analysis reveals sub-standard water being supplied in Madurai

    Mineral water cans are routinely delivered on doorsteps with a mere phone call. But if you are under an impression that the water that you buy matches the parameters to be classified as packaged drinking water or mineral water, then you are in for a shock. Water analysis tests done at the Government Food Analysis Laboratory in Chennai of drinking water samples collected in Madurai have revealed that sub-standard water is being sold to households and offices.
    The results, which were despatched to the Food Safety and Drug Administration office here this week, point to deficiencies in the drinking water being supplied by seven manufacturers in the district. A team of Food Safety Officers collected water samples earlier this month and sent them for analysis. “We sent 32 water samples collected from various places in the district to our Chennai lab and received the results for 29 samples on Tuesday. The report clearly says that seven of them were sub-standard and three misbranded,” J. Suguna, Designated Officer for Food Safety, Madurai district, told The Hindu on Thursday.
    The samples were collected from shops, manufacturing units, reverse osmosis plants and storage points during the surprise checks.
    A wide range of local water brands were covered at places such as Kalavasal, Vadipatti, Pudupatti, Tirumangalam, Peraiyur, Othakadai, Chinthamani, Oomachikulam, Chettikulam, Chellampatti, Poikaraipatti, Kochadai, Melur, Thanakkankulam, Bypass Road and Anuppanadi.
    The samples fell into four categories — genuine, unsafe, sub-standard and complied to standards.
    It was found that the pH level in seven water samples was far lower than the prescribed 6.5-8.5 pH level meant for packaged and mineral water. This sub-standard water is supplied in cans and bottles.
    “We issued notices to the seven suppliers and within 15 days they have to correct the deficiencies. Even though there is nothing alarming as such, the pH level has to be maintained as per the standards. Samples will be collected once again to check for compliance,” Dr. Suguna said.
    The Food Analyst Report available at the Food Safety wing office in Viswanathapuram lays down exact specifications with regard to level of content for colour, odour, aerobic microbial count, fluoride, sulphide, alkalinity, and so on.
    Suspect water
    As per the report, the suspect drinking water was supplied from seven RO plants and stockists in Anuppanadi, Paravai, Arumbanur, Athalai, Sathiyapuram (Melur), Thanakkankulam and Meyyappanpatti.
    The revelation of three ‘misbranded’ mineral water products (wrong label) is another challenge for the authorities.
    According to the Food Products Standards, packaged drinking water means water derived from surface water, underground water or sea water which is subjected to specified treatments — filtration, aeration, cartridge filter, de-mineralisation, re-mineralisation, reverse osmosis — and packed after disinfecting the water to a level that should not lead to any harmful contamination.
    Those who doubt the genuineness of mineral water can make a complaint to the Designated Officer for Food Safety on mobile number 98423 03625.

    Two SHGs found violating midday meal licence norms

    Inspection drive by FDA team in Goa did not find any major sanitation lapses

    Apart from minor lapses of sanitation and other things on the premises where midday meal food was being cooked by self-help groups , inspection teams of the State Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) on Thursday found a couple of instances of SHGs in Canacona in south Goa sub-letting their midday meal food preparation to un-authorised persons at unlicensed premises.
    Responding to the rising cases of food-poisoning and other complaints over midday meal scheme across the State, Food Safety Officers (FSOs) of FDA continued their inspection drive of the various SHGs involved in the supply of midday meals to various schools.
    Three teams of FSOs on Thursday conducted such inspections of the SHGs located in Bicholim, Sanquelim, Assonora, Karaswada, Pirna, Colvale, Tivim, Revora, Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona areas and a total of 20 SHGs premises were inspected in the early hours of the day from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. to check their activities during the cooking operation and also verify their sanitation and hygienic conditions while preparation of the midday meal.
    FDA Director Salim A. Veljee told The Hindu on Thursday that although the inspection drive did not find any major lapses of sanitation on the part of the various SHGs, minor defects of improper raw materials storage, lack of soak pit, tiles required on the kitchen walls and overall cleanliness required at the raw materials storage area were observed by the officers and the SHGs have been strictly advised to rectify the same and submit their compliance report within a week’s time.
    The inspection drives have also been carried out at the request from the Education Department, he said and proposed to forward them the reports of these inspections.
    FDA had conducted earlier on July 13 similar surprise visits to 32 SHGs in various pockets of the State. “So far we have completed the drive against 61 SHGs since June and inspection at the remaining 20-odd SHGs shall be completed in the next two days and thereafter in the early next week all reports would be forwarded to the Director of Education for their information and action,” said Mr. Veljee. This would be in addition to notice ordering improvement issued by the FDA, he said.
    Giving details of the inspection, he said that it was observed that at Canacona two SHGs, namely, Surabhi SHG and Astha SHG located at Kotegaon, Canacona in south Goa had sublet their tender for the supply of midday meals to Roshan Gaonkar and Ramda Gaonkar, both at Kotegaon, Canacona. They were found preparing the midday meals on their premises which were not licensed under the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and as such SHGs have been directed to immediately stop illegalities.

  • The raid comes in the wake of rising cases of food-poisoning over midday meal scheme
  • So far we have completed the drive against 61 SHGs since June, says an official
  • 2 self-help groups told to stop midday meal supply for sub-letting

    PANAJI: The food and drugs administration (FDA), during its inspection drive on Thursday, found that two self-help groups (SHGs) in Cotigaon, Canacona, had sublet their contract to supply midday meals.
    Two SHGs, namely Surabhi and Astha, allowed Roshan Goankar and Ramda Goankar to replace them as suppliers of midday meals. Both these individuals had not obtained a licence under Food and Safety Standards Act, 2006.
    FDA director Salim Veljee said both SHGs have been directed to immediately stop unauthorized preparation of midday meals. The education department has been intimated about this incident and asked to take further action.
    Three teams of food safety officers attached to the food and drugs administration (FDA) conducted a special inspection drive to check hygienic conditions in premises of 20 self-help groups (SHGs) involved in the supply of midday meals to various schools.
    The FDA inspectors inspected SHGs in Bicholim, Sanquelim, Assonora, Karaswada, Pirna, Colvale, Tivim, Revora, Sanguem, Quepem and Canacona.
    The inspection was carried out on Thursday between 6am and 1pm to check on sanitary and hygienic conditions whilst preparing the midday meals.
    Veljee said that the food inspectors did not find any major lapses with regard to the sanitation. But minor deficiencies were noticed such as improper ways of storing raw material and absence of soak pits.
    In cases where raw materials were not stored properly, the SHGs have been asked to make necessary changes and submit compliance reports within a week's time. He said that they conducted the inspection drives on a request of the education department and that reports will be forwarded to the department.
    Earlier, FDA had conducted similar surprise visits of 32 SHGs in various parts of the state. Since June, the FDA has inspected premises of 61 SHGs. The remaining SHGs will be inspected in the next two days.

    Revision of scales of pay of certain categories in the Public Heath and Preventive Medicine Department





    Online food licensing and regn faces manpower & infrastructure hurdles


    Even technology has failed to speed up the snail-paced licensing and registration of FBOs procedure being undertaken across the country under the Food Safety & Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011.
    That is because, fraught with glitches like lack of tech-savvy users and officials and inadequate infrastructure – software, hardware and manpower - the online version of the procedure, which meant the entire process will be completed in a few minutes at the click of a few buttons, has failed to gather steam in most parts of the country where it has been launched in recent times.
    While the above-mentioned glitches are a matter of grave concern for now, they are also likely to impact the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India’s (FSSAI) goal of completing the licensing and registration procedure in the country before the deadline – February 4, 2014 – be it manual or online. Interestingly, the deadline has been extended by the Authority twice earlier.
    To know the current scenario, let us take a look at Goa. The tiny state commenced the process of licensing and registration online on January 31, 2012. Jyoti J Sardessai, deputy director, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the South Goa district, said, “Most food business operators across the state prefer offline application.”
    This was confirmed by a source in the district FDA, who added that online licensing and registration constitutes 30 per cent, while offline licensing and registration accounts for the remainder.
    He said, “Adequate infrastructure has not been created for citizen-centric centres (for instance, cyber-cafes, which charge exorbitant rates). Another hurdle the online system faces in Goa is that most FBOs are not too tech-savvy.”
    “We have recently appointed four data entry operators, who upload the information about applications received – both online and offline – from FBOs in the state's two districts (North Goa and South Goa) onto a database,” the official informed.
    “Establishments with larger premises and more staff opt for online licensing and registration,” he added.
    Software glitches
    The online licensing and registration process first started about two years ago. But the software for the same, though developed with a great deal of fanfare and trials, was not upto the mark. While efforts were made to rectify the weak areas, users still found some glitches.
    Maharashtra
    Maharashtra was the first to start the online licensing and registration. Till date, 3 lakh FBOs across the western state have either registered or obtained licences. Yet, 90 per cent of the registration and licensing has taken place offline, and the remainder online.
    Haryana & Chandigarh
    Haryana also started the online registration for FBOs on March 22 2013. Chandigarh, the capital of the state (as well as that of Punjab), became the first Union Territory recently to introduce the online food licensing and registration system (FLRS) to facilitate food business operators (FBOs) to file and track their applications.
    Tamil Nadu & Kerala
    The total number of licenses issued by and FBOs registered in Tamil Nadu so far is 1,85,000, all of which are offline. The online process recently commenced in Madurai district. The number of FBOs who have either obtained a license or registered – all offline – across Kerala is 55,000.  
    Gujarat – An exception
    However, Gujarat is a state whose Food and Drug Control Administration (FDCA) has fared better than its counterparts in the other states.
    H G Koshia, the state's food commissioner, said, “About 1,20,000 FBOs have either obtained a license or registered offline so far. And I am proud to say that Gujarat has become the first state in the country to start the online registration and licensing process in all 26 districts at one go.”
    He added, “We imparted training to all the FBOs and also organised five workshops covering all the districts along with the National Institute for Smart Government (NISG) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).”
    Koshia added, “I am sure Gujarat will complete its licensing and registration well before the deadline stipulated by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, namely February 4, 2014.”
    Puducherry's poor performance
    “There are seven months to go before the February 4, 2014 deadline lapses, but the process of licensing and registration is yet to commence in Puducherry,” said Ragesh Chandra, the Union Territory's health and education secretary.
    Conclusion
    Nevertheless, FSSAI is organising workshops and educating FBOS across the country hoping that all the states concerned come up with solutions for their problems soon.