Jan 28, 2013

Ban on tobacco products, an utter failure in state capital

Though the state government has banned the sale of gutka, pan masala and other chewing tobacco products which are hazardous to health, the sale of these products is still rampant in most parts of Greater Hyderabad.
With authorities failing to strictly enforce the new rule, customers are getting their daily fix and are able to consume it in public places without any trouble.
The ban of gutka seems to be meeting the same fate as the prohibition on smoking cigarettes in public places. Though law forbids smokers to take a puff in public, it is a common sight to find many smokers violating the rule.
One can easily purchase these banned products in any paan shops and small vendors as shopowners are least bothered about the impending raids by officials.
They believe the authorities cannot take any stringent action them except to impose a fine of `50.
Unfortunately, tobacco control cell functioning under the directorate of public health and family welfare located in Koti, supposed to be enforcing the ban, lacks supporting staff.
State nodal officer T Geetha Prasadini, technical officer S Nagaraju, state consultant Heena, heading the TCC does not support staff and are the mercy of GHMC and police for enforcing the ban.
On few occasions, TCC staff had to face the wrath of vendors and make a hasty retreat in some areas while enforcing the ban. Vendors in huge numbers reportedly opposed the raids.
The state government on Jan 9 this year banned gutka and paan masala products and instructed authorities to strictly implement the prohibition and enforce a blanket ban on manufacture, stock, sale and use of all tobacco products in the state.
An investigation by Express revealed that it was very easy to get gutka sachets anywhere in the city just by shelling out additional bucks. The cost of each pouch has almost doubled but this is no deterrent to paan masala lovers.
In Ameerpet, a paan shop owner said a sachet of ‘Goa 1000’ brand with a printed price of `3 would cost `6 but he is willing to sell at the rate of `4 to `5 in case of bulk purchase.
The ‘Vimal’ brand, with an MRP of `5, are available at `8 in Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar while another vendor in Punjagutta said that he could arrange for a larger quantity of packets and promised regular supply in future as well.
Shop owners say they were able to sell the banned items as there is no strict enforcement of the rule.
Speaking to Express the TCC state nodal officer, T.Geetha Prasadini admitted to lack of enforcement in implementing the gutka ban.
“We would like to first create awareness about the ban before we start imposing it in full force. We will initially penalise violators and if they still continue to sell them, GHMC will be asked to cancel trade licenses of the shops and cases will be booked under COTP Act 2003. We have so far seized 5 lakh sachets from various shops in the city,” she said.
She further explained that the tobacco business in the state is to the tune of `10,000 crore per annum, while people consuming these products spend around `40,000 towards medical treatment for various ailments per year.
Though enforcement of the rule is currently slow in Hyderabad, it is expected to pick up pace soon after chief secretary Minnie Mathew holds a meeting with Health, Medical and Family Welfare (HM&FW), Vigilance and Enforcement, Commercial Taxes, Police, Transport, Labour, Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) and Panchayat Raj Departments.
As per notification, the above eight departments should work in coordination and enforce the rule prescribed by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Section 2,3,4 that any food product which contains tobacco or nicotine is banned.
She said the TCC is implementing COTP Act 2003 in all districts with the coordination of various departments and is preparing an action plan.
“A monitoring system will be designed with the support of IPM the nodal agency for the ban on smokeless tobaccos products,” said the officer.
The officials also request the paan vendors to understand the health risks involved in consuming tobacco products. The advertisements displaying the tobacco products on the boards at pan shops are also banned under section 5 of COTP act 2003.
The TCC has reportedly listed out over a dozen firms involved in manufacture and supply of chewing tobacco, flavoured tobacco, royal, synthetic, aromatic spiced flavoured tobacco products etc.
“We will soon take action against them. The officials are also in the process of identifying those firms dealing with the sale of banned products,” said T Geetha Prasadini.

HRAWI to host FSSAI awareness workshop in Goa on Feb 7, 2013



The Hotels and Restaurants Association, Western India (HRAWI) will be hosting a workshop to educate the industry on the Food Safety and Standards Act of India 2006 (FSSAI) at the International Centre in Goa on February 7, 2013.

The seminar, which will be conducted by Dr V Pasupathy, a renowned Food Scientist & Consultant to FHRAI in FSSAI matters, is the last of a series of successful workshops held across Western India to create awareness for the industry of the new Food Safety & Standards Act. The seminar will also provide an overview of new licencing requirements such as the ‘Food Business Operator’ licence, as establishments have to now acquire this licence by February 2013.

Dr Pasupathy will delve into topics that include food safety management system, corrective and preventive action, sampling procedures, legal overview of the FSSAI as well as highlight matters relating to adjudication and prosecution under the act.

Mr Pradeep Shetty, Chairman, Legal Sub-Committee, HRAWI, said, “FSSAI was primarily created to lay down scientific standards to ensure the safe and healthy consumption of food in the country. HRAWI has welcomed the said new law which has subsumed all existing Food related laws, albeit with certain caveats that have represented to the Union Government. The implementation of FSSAI affects our members including millions of small businesses connected with food. As the industry body, HRAWI endeavours to enable member establishments to make the transition smoothly and meet the criteria laid down by the act. We are immensely pleased with the success of our seminars that have been attended by thousands of participants across Western India.”

The workshop is open to owners, general managers, operational heads, chefs, f&b managers, hygiene managers, engineers, quality control executives, materials managers, and housekeepers from hotels and restaurants.

Pasta to curtail heart disease risk? Foods with 'outrageous' health claims could soon flood the market

Biscuits with diabetes-lowering properties, pasta that can cut your heart disease risk, potato chips capable of reducing chances of stroke, fruit jam that can keep cancers at bay, cookies that tackle osteoporosis and a tea for pregnant women to ensure birth defect-free child.

Products with such wild health claims may flood Indian markets when labelling guidelines notified by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Food Safety Standards Act 2006 come into effect.


Instead of cracking down on companies making tall health claims, the new framework will not only legalise such assertions but will also let companies make even bolder "disease risk reduction" claims, which, experts say, is a step towards medicalisation of food.
Pseudo nutrition supplements which don't qualify to be called fully-fledged drugs hit markets as new-age foods. The list of diseases for which food companies will be allowed to make claims include coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, hypertension, osteoporosis, neural tube defects and dental caries.

The difference between "risk reduction" and "prevention" is too technical for consumers to be interpreted in the right way, say experts.

"Risk reduction, even if it is one per cent, can't be considered a false claim. People may not understand the true meaning because of widespread illiteracy," pointed out Dr Chandra M. Gulhati, editor of Monthly Index of Medical Specialties.

"Ideally, claims should not be disease-oriented since people will blindly go for them. Claims regarding heart disease could be contentious but may still be allowed. But those for cancers should not be permitted since a linear relationship between dietary fat intake and cancers has still not been conclusively proven," pointed out Dr Anoop Misra, director, centre of internal medicine at Fortis Hospital.

The criteria for making disease-related claims have been left vague and confusing. For instance, products making a disease related claim should not contain more than 6.8 grams of total fat per 'serving' for consumers in the age group of four-six years, 11g for seven-17 years and 11.6g for those above 18.


 If a pack of chips is consumed by a family, then portions will have to be distributed as per age group, just as we do with a cough syrup or antibiotic.

All that food companies will have to do is produce "appropriate scientific research and clinical studies published in scientific journals".

But if such studies can't be produced, they can just cite "generally accepted authoritative statements" by expert bodies or even text book references.

Consumer rights activist Bejon Misra said the objective of food labels should be to clearly communicate the contents and not confuse consumers.

"There should be no room for misuse of labelling rules to masquerade drugs or supplements as food," he added.

Workshop on Food Safety Standards Act 2006 today

Puducherry, Jan 28 : The Department of Food Sciences and Technology, School of Life Science of the Pondicherry University, will be organising a five day workshop on 'Food Safety Standards Act 2006' from today.
According to a university release here today, Dr Surendra Ghonkrokta, Director, Enforcement, FSSAI, New Delhi will inaugurate the workshop. Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 which come to effect from August 2011 is a science based futuristic policy, making it at par with the international standards and is aimed at ensuring safe food to consumers.
This act subsumes various central Acts like Prevention of Food Adulteration Act of 1954, Fruit Products Order of 1955, Meat Food Products Order of 1973 etc and also any order issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 relating to food. It will ensure prevention of fraudulent, deceptive or unfair trade practices which may mislead or harm the consumer, and unsafe, contaminated or sub-standard foods.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), established under the overarching legislation, have laid down science based standards for food items and regulate their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. Most of the States and Union Territories now have Food Commissioners in place as required under the Act.
During the five days of deliberations, the act is covered in detail by the experts in the field drawn from all over the country. The sessions covered are, Licensing and Registration Rules; Sampling and analysis,; Pesticide residues, contaminants, toxins; Food Safety Management Systems; Products and Standards; Labeling and claims; Key shifts in FSSA; Panel discussion and wrap up.