FSSAI to work with other government agencies to spread awareness on food safety

NEW DELHI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India plans to work together with central and state government agencies, universities, colleges and non-government organisations to spread awareness about food safety related issues across the country. 

"Awareness level about food safety in the country is extremely low. The consumers need to be educated and hence the association with several organisations," said a senior FSSAI officer, requesting not to be named. The FSSAI has been under fire for poor implementation of norms and lack of awareness about food safety issues. According to the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act 2006, the priorities of the FSSAI include laying down science-based standards for articles of food and regulating their manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import to ensure availability of safe and wholesome food for human consumption. 

Officials said the FSSAI is constrained by its dependence on state food authorities for implementing the law as well as shortage of both manpower and skills in the authority. 

Under the new scheme, these organisations will inform, educate and communicate on behalf of the authority, the FSSAI said in a recent notice. "This has been done as per the recommendation of an expert committee constituted under the above scheme," the notice said. 

The authority has also directed the states to submit state level proposals for spreading awareness for each state to the state food safety commissioners, some of which could be considered for implementation across the nation.

Tea traders hail steps FSSAI raids

The Tea Trade Association of Cochin has hailed the raids conducted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on people selling adulterated tea. In a statement here, the association said the raids had brought to light unauthorised activities in the trade.

At the same time, it said the malpractices by a small section of traders had brought the entire tea business under the shadow of public suspicion.

The statement said legitimate and genuine tea traders across the country had been affected by malpractices by unscrupulous elements.

The association said it would work to create awareness among the public to protect the interests of the stakeholders and the move to book those dealing in adulterated tea was welcome.

It said teas auctioned at the Cochin auction centre were confirmed by sellers and the Tea Board-approved brokers to be those of prescribed FSSAI standards.

Valuation of tea was done by experts in the industry and the trade was regulated by the Tea Board of India.

The traders appealed to the public to refrain from buying teas which were sold at comparatively lower prices. They said traders, buyers and retailers should always insist on bills of transactions with the VAT and FSSAI licence numbers on them. The traders said adulterated tea was being brought into the State from neighbouring States and some of the non-tea materials in the adulterated tea could cause health problems.

Food Safety officials raids on fruit shops

Officials of Food Safety Department conducted raids on the fruit stalls to check the presence of calcium carbide content in the stocks at Kedareswarapeta Wholesale Fruit Market in the city on Monday.

Food Safety Officers from Guntur, Krishna, East and West Godavari districts participated in the raids. They collected samples of Sweet Orange, Banana, Papaya, Grapes and other varieties of fruits, said the officials.

Recently, the Food Safety and Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) authorities raided on the fruit shops in Kedareswarapet Fruit Market and found that a wholesale merchant was ripening papayas by using calcium carbide. They destroyed the stocks then.

“We suspect that some bananas and papaya stocks were being ripened by using calcium carbide. The seized samples would be sent for laboratory examination,” the Food Safety Officers said.

1,000 workers deployed to clean up after Pongala

The city Corporation entrusted 1,000 of its sanitation workers with the task of clean-up operations as part of Attukal Pongala festival.

In addition, 1,784 others have been appointed on a daily- wage basis across 14 health circles.

The local body will make use of 20 of its own trucks and 35 rented trucks for transport of waste. Arrangements have been made for the distribution of drinking water at all areas where Pongala is offered. To take care of emergency situations, the Corporation’s ambulances will be kept ready.

A control room has been opened in the city, which will function on all days of the festival. Health supervisors, health inspectors, and junior health inspectors will coordinate the activities in this control room.

The services of public health nurses will be available at the control room and in the ambulances.

A special health squad has been appointed to ensure clean surroundings in the festival area and to check the quality of food served in restaurants. Route plans have been prepared by the health inspector of respective wards for the removal of waste after Pongala. Cooperation of residents associations and temple authorities have been requested for this purpose.

Spraying and fogging in the festival area is being carried out to control mosquitoes. The Corporation, in association with the Suchitwa Mission, the District administration, the Food Safety Department, and the temple administration will implement a green protocol for the festival this year. Devotees have been requested to bring a steel plate and tumbler, to reduce the use of disposable plastic plates and cups.

The voluntary organisations, which carry out distribution of food and water have been asked to avoid the use of disposable plates and cups. Around 10,000 steel tumblers and 3,000 plates have been collected from city residents as part of a campaign, to be distributed to those devotees who arrive without their own plates and tumblers.

LDH health dept has no record of surprise checks at eateries

Putting the lives of thousands of residents at risk, the local health department has severely failed to follow the guidelines during checks or inspections of eateries and sweetmeat shops in the district.

This not only highlights the lack of seriousness on part of officials of the food safety wing but also point out an apparent collusion between many officials and eatery owners. Accusations have also been made against the food safety wing officials who are accused of failing to keep a check on these eateries.

The matter has come to the fore through an RTI query filed by a local resident Dhiraj Kathuria, an MSc in food technology. Violations of the norms took place during August 1, 2012, to July 31, 2014. Kathuria has sought information regarding the record of the surprise checks from of the same period, but to no avail.

As per the norms, the food safety wing officials are supposed to follow a set of documentary procedures during the inspection of an eatery or a retail outlet. Their checklist contains different points, including the record of fruits, vegetables, fish, periodic cleaning and disinfection of store and availability of facility for keeping perishable food products among others.

The RTI reply from the civil surgeon office states there is no documentary record of any inspection or an audit of a food business operator (FBO) by the food safety officers between August 1, 2012 and July 31, 2014, Kathuria said.

Neither the district health department has prepared any inspection report of the FBO nor has a compliance report been filed during the same period.

Kathuria said with no authentic record of such surprise checks, the department is putting the health of thousands of residents at stake as they do not even know whether they are being served healthy food or not. “There should be a thorough inquiry into the issue to know why the rules are not being followed,”said Kathuria.

District health officer (DHO) Dr Abnash Kumar said he was unaware about any such RTI query.

CHECKLIST THAT NEEDS TO BE FOLLOWED

• To check whether daily records of quantity of fruits, vegetables, fish, milk, etc is maintained or not
• Whether periodic cleaning and disinfection of store is carried out and record thereof is maintained
• To check if the facility for keeping perishable food products is available or not
• No person handling food should be suffering from any infection of contagious disease.
• The working area should be well-ventilated and lightened
• Adequate facility for toilets, hand wash and foot bath

40 ill after food poisoning

Ranchi: Around 40 people, including 15 children, took ill due to food poisoning in Bero block of Ranchi district late on Saturday evening.

The incident was reported at Paharakandriya village after a group of locals consumed paanipuri at a weekly fair on Saturday, nearly 48kms from the state capital. Within a few hours, most of them developed cramps and started vomiting, doctors said.

The patients were rushed to Bero community health centre (CHC) late on Saturday night, block medical officer in-charge Dr Ranjan Kumar Singh said. Besides paanipuri, doctors are suspecting "contaminated water" as the cause for food poisoning. "A medical team has been sent to Paharakandariya village and food and water samples have been collected," Singh said on Sunday afternoon. Singh said people were admitted after midnight. A few patients have also been shifted to Ranchi district hospital.

The incident has prompted the Ranchi civil surgeon's office to strengthen food testing procedures in the district.

Market share of Maggi declines

New Delhi, Feb 22 : The controversy, which hauled a ban on Maggi noodles seems to have overturned. The most favorite product of the Nestle India brand witnessed its market share drop by almost half, according to industry executives who drew on Nielsen data.

The share of the Nestle's noodles brand in India dropped to 42 percent in January from a high of 77 percent in the previous year.

While Maggi regained its number one slot in instant noodles last month, ITC Foods' Sunfeast Yippee came a close second with a 33 percent share.

The category, dominated by Maggi until May last year, has become fragmented with others such as Nissin's Top Ramen and Cup Noodles, Ching's Secret, Wai Wai and HUL's Knorr having caught up.

Maggi witnessed a ban last year in June and returned to stores in early November after a five-month ban and voluntary recall over allegations by food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) over excessive lead.

மகாமக குளத்தில் நீராடி விட்டு உணவுகளில் கலப்படத்தை கண்டறிய நடமாடும் உணவு பரிசோதனை ஆய்வுக்கூடம் கும்பகோணம் வந்தது

கும் ப கோ ணம், பிப்.22:

கும் ப கோ ணத் தில் மகா ம கத் தை யொட்டி ஓட் டல் கள், உணவு விடு தி கள், சாலை யோர டிபன் சென் டர் கள், துரித உணவு கூடங் கள் ஏரா ள மான முளைத் துள் ளன. மேலும் மளி கைக் க டை கள், சாலை யோர திண் பண் டங் கள் விற் ப னை ய கம் போன் ற வை க ளில் ஏரா ள மான உணவு பண் டங் கள் விற் பனை செய் யப் ப டு கின் றன. லட் சக் க ணக் கான கூட் டத் தி னரை பயன் ப டுத்தி கலப் பட பொருள் களை விற் பனை செய் ய வும் வாய்ப் பு கள் உள் ளன. எனவே இவற்றை கண் ட றி வ தற் கா க வும், பொது மக் க ளி டம் விழிப் பு ணர்வை ஏற் ப டுத் து வ தற் கா க வும் தஞ் சை யில் உள்ள இந் திய பயிர் பதன தொழில் நுட்ப கழ கம் மற் றும் தமி ழக அர சின் உணவு பொருள் பகுப் பாய்வு பிரிவு சார் பில் நட மா டும் உணவு தர பரி சோ தனை ஆய் வுக் கூடம் கும் ப கோ ணத் திற்கு வர வ ழைக் கப் பட் டுள் ளது. ஒரு பேருந் தில் அமைக் கப் பட் டுள்ள நவீன பரி சோ தனை கூடத் தில் சந் தே கப் ப டும் உணவு பண் டங் கள் பரி சோ தனை செய் யப் பட்டு முடி வு கள் உட னுக் கு டன் தரப் ப டு கி றது.

இதற் காக இந் திய பயிர் பதன தொழில் நுட்ப கழக இயக் கு னர் லோக நா தன் உத் த ர வின் பே ரில் விஞ் ஞானி புவனா தலை மை யில் 3 தொழில் நுட்ப வல் லு னர் கள் வருகை தந் துள் ள னர். இது குறித்து புவனா கூறும் போது, கும் ப கோ ணம் நக ரில் அரசு அதி கா ரி கள், பொது மக் கள் அளிக் கும் சந் தே கப் ப டும் ப டி யான உணவு பொருள் க ளின் மாதி ரி களை கொடுத் தால் பரி சோ தித்து உட ன டி யாக முடி வு களை தரு கி றோம். இதற்கு மகா ம கத் தை யொட்டி கட் ட ணம் எது வும் இன்றி இல வ ச மாக செய்து தரு கி றோம். மேலும் இது குறித்து விழிப் பு ணர்வை பொது மக் க ளுக்கு அளிக்க உள் ளோம். தர மற்ற உண வு களை உண் ப தால் ஏற் ப டும் விளை வு களை விளக்கி வரு கி றோம் என் றார்.