Food-related traders asked to register with FSSAI before August 4

Panelists at a discussion on Food Safety and Security Act at the Puducherry University on Friday.

“Vendors simply have to declare that they are running a food-based business”
Although the Food Safety Standards Act has been in place for several years now, and it is now mandatory for all food-related businesses, including street food vendors, to register with the Food Safety Standards Authority of India, many restaurants and smaller vendors hesitate to apply for the licenses.
All food related businesses have been asked to register with the FSSAI before August 4 this year.
Since the experience in the past of many of these food vendors has been bad when it came to licensing and policing by the officials, many people have refused to apply for their unique identity cards.
The FSSAI, however, is very different since the emphasis is not on policing from outside, but on self regulation, Member of the scientific committee of the FSSAI J.S. Pai said on the sidelines of the One day workshop on Food Safety Act: “Know the Act & Regulations” here on Friday.
The intentions of this Act are good, and through its provisions, there is very little scope of harassment and problems. It is up to the State government and universities to raise awareness among the people, he said.
Even though the procedure is very simple, the vendor simply has to fill a form to declare that he is running a food-based business, many do not apply. The onus is on State government to ensure this happens, since it will make the vendors accountable, Senior Scientist of the National Institute of Nutrition R.V. Sudershan said.
Through their unique identity numbers, the name and location of the vendor as well as contact details will be available to the consumer. This will make them answerable, he said.
In terms of the consumers, there is a section of the FSSAI website that invites whistleblowers. These people will be working with the Centre or State governments to help ensure the quality of food is maintained, Aruna Kumar from the Central Food Technology Research Institute said.
The one-day workshop organised by the Food Science and Technology Department was aimed at educating business people in the food industry on the Act.

Study on convenience food released

CHENNAI: The Consumers Association of India (CAI) along with the Centre for Consumer Education, Research, Teaching, Training and Testing (CONCERT) has released a study on convenience food.

Director of CAI G Santhanrajan said convenience food comprised heat and eat, ready to eat and ready to cook products.
It provides a vast array of choices like rice preparations, chapattis, desserts and non-vegetarian food. Such food items have to be tested for packaging and labelling, quality along with health and safety.
While the quality parameters included nutritional label claims verification results and chemical characteristics verification, health and safety meant a test for microbiological characteristics, said Santhanrajan
CONCERT secretary general G Rajan said quality and safety of food products was being regulated by Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FS&SAI). However "at present, standards for ready to eat food products of 'heat and eat type' had not been prescribed either by FS&SAI or Bureau of Indian Standards ( BIS)."

WORLD CONSUMERS DAY 2014

Chandigarh:To Celebrate the World Consumers Day A seminar on Food Safety Act was organized by Consumers Association Chandigarh (CAC) at Community centre Sector 21, Chandigarh. Hon’ble Shri Harphool Chander Kalyan, Mayor Municipal Corporation Chandigarh presided over the function. Mr. Sukhwinder Singh Food Safety Officer Health Department Chandigarh Administration gave a talk on the topic. He apprised the gathering that Food borne illnesses are major health problems in our country. Food borne illnesses are prevalent in all parts of the world, and the toll in terms of human life and suffering is enormous. Contaminated food contributes to 1.5 billion cases of diarrhea in children each year, resulting in more than three million premature deaths according to the WHO. Accidental or intentional adulteration of food by toxic substances also can result in serious health incidents. Food safety remains a critical issue in India with frequent reports of outbreaks of food borne illnesses every year resulting insubstantial costs to individuals, health care system and the country. To regulate the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of food item, and ensure the availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have been constituted which will lay down science-based standards for food items. This new Food Safety and Standards Act has repealed different Act and orders such as, the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954, the Fruit Products Order, 1955, the Meat Food Products Order, 1973, the Vegetable Oil Products (Control) order, 1947, the edible oils packaging (Regulation) Order, 1998, the Solvent Extracted Oil, De Oiled Meal, and Edible Flour (Control) Order, 1967, the Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992 and any other order issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 (10 of 1955) relating to food.
Shri Harphool Chander Kalyan, the Chief Guest appreciated the role of Consumers Association Chandigarh in awarieng the consumer about their rights and settling the Complaints. Emphasizing the need for educating more and more people about the Food Safety Act., he said that this will certainly help in improving the health of the people. Annual-2014 of the Association was also released on the occasion.Earlier in the day Shri R.K. Kaplash Chairman of the CAC briefed about the activists of the Association. CAC is working in the Chandigarh since 1979, much before the enactment of Consumer Protection Act, is also brain behind the Apni Mandi Concept. It operated consumer awareness cum sale counters in different sectors of Chandigarh to sell good quality daily need items at competitive rates in directly controlling the price line. Shri R.K. Sharma, President Complaints, CAC apprised the participants about the procedure of handling the consumer complaints. He told that more than 10,000 complaints have already been settled by the association till date and that too without charging any fee out of court settlement.The Chairman presented the memento to Chief Guest and. Food Safety Officer. Sh. H.S. Aulakh was honored with a Life Time Achievement Trophy for his sincere honest and continuous services for over twenty years. Sh. A.S Ahuja Convener Sector 23 was also honoured. Brig. J.S. Phoolka, Advisor to the Chairman CAC passed a vote of thanks. He also thanked the media, Health Department U.T. Chandigarh, media and participants for making the World Consumer Day a great success.

Consumer policy expert urges Odisha to frame legislation

Advocating a robust regulatory framework for the protection of genuine direct selling companies, noted consumer policy expert Bejon Misra today asked the Odisha government to frame a legislation.
A member of the first constituted central Consumer Protection Council, member of Food Safety & Standards authority of India (in 2008) and Quality Council of India, Misra had recently been inducted into the national Task Force on Direct Selling by FICCI as an advisor.
In that capacity, Misra has been advocating the need of direct selling across states including Odisha, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Assam.
"We submitted a memorandum to the Odisha government urging it to have a separate legislation to deal exclusively with direct selling companies," said Misra, who was here to attend a function.
"There is an urgent need to protect direct selling industry especially in a state like Odisha which is the highest growing state in the country in direct selling," he said.
They are able to find a gainful employment out of accessing good quality products, they are also being able to get into an engagement or fruitful employment and making them an entrepreneur, Misra said.
There are 20 Direct selling companies like Amway, Avon, Oriflame who are members of direct selling association in India, he said.
Stating that 60 per cent of direct selling people are women, the advisor to FICCI Direct Selling Task Force said, "Direct selling provides employment opportunity to 14 million to people in India in the organized sector only. In the unorganised sector it could be 5 million or 10 million people employed and 3000 direct selling companies who are operating across the country."
Rajat Banerjee, Co-Chair, FICCI National Task Force on Direct Selling, said: "As per National industry classification, it is classified as internal trade and internal trade is a state subject. Therefore we are talking to states. Legislation will help distinguish genuine companies from fake companies and also protect consumers.

Experts highlight R&D in dietary supplement and nutra to control aging

Global research and development (R&D) labs are now focussing on the development of dietary supplements and nutraceuticals that could keep aging cells at bay.
Although the consumption of red and orange fruits is seen to be as beneficial as that of green leafy vegetables, and Gac fruit is a great source of lycopene. But people are not seen to consume these on a regular basis.
This has led global nutraceutical companies like Amway to enhance their research investments and develop products to control cell aging.
A panel of experts highlighted the R&D innovations in functional foods and dietary supplements at the Ninth Nutra India Summit, which concluded in Bengaluru on Friday.
The session was chaired by Dr D B A Narayana, chairman, Herbal Products Committee, Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC).
Dr Deepa Shenoy, senior research scientist, open innovation, Amway Global R&D, USA, led the discussion on the topic, ‘A 360º Approach to Innovating Functional Foods And Dietary Supplements for the Healthy Aging Consumer’.
She stated that there has been considerable focus on the research of nutraceutical products.
Although Amway’s first product was detergents, and it gradually expanded to offer numerous health products and dietary supplements.
Currently, almost 50 per cent of Amway’s global business is driven out of nutrition products such as protein powder and other health supplements. Amway's science and technology has a worldwide presence.
Amway's has invested $81 million in a production plant for pharma and nutraceutical tablets. The company, which produces protein at this facility under the brand name Nutralite, has a range of options for optimum health.
“We are designing a protein food for health benefits like aging of skin and muscle. The product is a protein for the protection of skeletal muscle which approximately comprises for about 42-50 per cent of the total body mass,” she said.
“The aging disease, referred to as sarcopenia, is caused due to the loss of muscle under the skin which can be controlled by correcting nutritional habits, aiding metabolism and altering lifestyle of an individual,” stated Dr Shenoy.
“The intake of a protein-rich diet improves muscle mass that significantly improves cell proliferation under the skin that gradually helps to cure/improve the condition. We need to look at the problem scientifically and understand the problem only then able to find a solution,” she added.
Speaking on nutrition and human cell growth (the new frontier for new products), Prof Dr Helmut Weidlich, chairman, Institut Prof Dr Georg Kurz GmbH, Germany, said that one of the steps to tackle aging in cellular level was to make the cell fight by itself against any harmful substance like virus or other protein substances.
Cell debris and other undesired cell growth should be prevented and to suppress the mutation at a cellular level.
“It is possible for the human body to generate new cells naturally by making alterations at the cellular level with minute alterations. The food that helps cell proliferation is a chemical compound known as caratinocyte which helps in rejuvenating the skin cells,” Dr Weidlich said.
“There is need to increase the consumption of red and orange fruit or those that are in the citrus category. Further, amino acid found in beverages like green tea can help in cell proliferation and prevent aging,” he added.
“In the coming years, there would be software solutions to predict which particular compound can help a cell and this helps to devise a formula to come up with new and better solutions for the benefit of all,” Dr Weidlich stated.
Dr Priti Vaidyanathan, senior manager, technical service, Sami Labs Ltd, said that the company has commenced the cultivation of Gac fruit (whose botanical name is momordica cochinchinensi), which has adapted positively to the Indian soil conditions.
This plant is part of the cucurbitacae family, commonly known as baby jackfruit. The pulp of the fruit is very rich in fatty acids that aid in the absorption of caratenoids.
Gac fruit contains lycopene which is an amino acid. This content is 70 times more than that of tomatoes. In humans, absorption of lycopene is in the liver and kidneys among other glands.
Now, lycopene is that it is an anti-cancer agent, and is beneficial to treat different types of this disease. In addition, it is also acts as an antioxidant and use to treat osteoporosis.
However, factors affecting the absorption of lycopene in humans include aging, smoking and alcohol consumption.
Therefore, in order to prevent many aging and age-related disorders, it is vital to include red and orange vegetables along with green leafy varieties.
Integrated approach & ethical marketing critical for nutra: Dr Prakash Integrated approach and ethical marketing are critical to the success of the nutraceutical industry.
This was stated by Dr V Prakash, distinguished scientist, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) India; vice-president, International Union of Nutritional Science (IUNS), director, research and development (R&D) and innovation, JSS MVP, Mysore, and chairman, Ninth Nutra India Summit.
“Advanced science is the key for business safety in the field of nutrition and food industry. The phase from concept to product development of nutraceuticals is complicated, because of the lack of defined regulations which makes these products difficult to be approved,” he said.
“Therefore, the Indian nutraceutical industry needs to adopt an integrated strategy and ethical marketing route to ensure high-quality systems are in place,” said Dr Prakash.
Speaking on the topic, ‘The Sculptured Future of Health through Nutra with the Background of 5,000 years of Rich Epidemiology in India,’ he said that there were 12 key technology areas globally, and in this space the pharmaceutical sector topped with 23 per cent, followed by computer technology with 15 per cent.
The market for nutraceuticals could increase only with a rise in standard of living in India, as this was the main potential to drive the growth. The R&D investments in nutraceuticals are poised to touch $400 million by 2025, which would be key to industrial growth.
“An integrated approach is the key to success, and ethical marketing is critical in nutraceutical industry,” he stated.
In August 2011, the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, which came into effect five years after it was passed in Parliament, subsumed various central Acts like the Prevention of Food Adulteration (PFA) Act, 1954; the Fruit Products Order (FPO), 1955; the Meat Food Products Order, 1973; the Vegetable Oil Products (Control) Order, 1947; the Edible Oils Packaging (Regulation) Order of 1988; the Solvent Extracted Oil, De- Oiled Meal and Edible Flour (Control) Order, 1967; the Milk and Milk Products Order, 1992, and any order issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 relating to food. It would ensure prevention of fraudulent, deceptive or unfair trade practices which may mislead or harm the consumer, and unsafe, contaminated or sub-standard food.
“This law will give a fillip to the nutraceutical industry, because prebiotic food, probiotic food, novel food, unani, ayurveda and siddha also come under its purview. The approval of products is a complex process, and there are hundreds of brands of vitamin with biotin, where some are below the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) range, some are above the RDA range and some which are equal to the RDA range. We need to have some new standards and refine the approval process,” Dr Prakash said.
He added that customer acceptance and safety are more important than the profit of the industry. The infrastructure should match the market for the supply of the raw materials and the Ayur-nutraceutical industry is a $300-million-market, and is a growing sector.