Mar 28, 2017

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Chemically ripened mangoes seized


Ethylene sachet from China, the new ripening agent

Fruits ripened using ethylene powder can trigger gastritis, ulcer and cancer
For the first time in Coimbatore, the officials of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) have detected the use of ethylene sachets made in China as ripening agent for fruits. The officials seized one such sachet during a raid conducted in a fruit market in the city on Monday.
According to FSSAI officials, ethylene in powder form is seized for the first time here. While ethylene gas can only be used in chambers meant for fruit ripening, the sachet does not require a chamber.
“Ethylene gas is a fruit ripening agent permitted by the FSSAI. The sachet seized on Monday had ethylene in powder form. The powder sachet helps to ripen fruits overnight when placed inside the carton. We are yet to get any clue of the source of the ethylene sachet with the wordings ‘Made in China’ printed on it” said O.L.S. Vijay, designated officer of FSSAI in Coimbatore. In August 2016, FSSAI had made amendments to Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, to include ethylene gas as ripening agent for fruits. Dr. Vijay said the use of ethylene as ripening agent in fruits can cause serious health issues as in the case of calcium carbide.
“Regular consumption of fruits ripened using ethylene powder can trigger gastritis, ulcer, neurological disorders and cancer,” said Dr. Vijay.
A food safety official also complained of headache and giddiness after spending time inside a godown from where 10 kg of calcium carbide was seized during the raid.

Five tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes seized

O.L.S. Vijay (second left), designated officer of FSSAI in Coimbatore, during a raid in a fruit market in the city on Monday
They were ripened using calcium carbide and ethylene powder
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) officials, on Monday, seized five tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes and 500 kg of sapodilla (sapota) from wholesale and retail traders in the city.
The fruits were ripened using calcium carbide and ethylene powder. FSSAI designated officer O.L.S. Vijay led the raid.
FSSAI officials said that the artificially ripened mangoes and sapodilla were seized from 15 retailers and two wholesale dealers at Karuppa Gounder street and Ukkadam fruit market.
While three tonnes of mangoes were seized from two warehouses at Karuppa Gounder street, two tonnes were seized from fruit market in Ukkadam. The value of the seized fruits will come to the tune of Rs. 5 lakh. Officials also seized 10kg calcium carbide from one of the warehouses.
The seized mangoes were of most sought-after varieties like Alphonso, Malgova , and Banganappalli. They were being sold for prices between Rs. 100 and Rs. 150 per kg, said officials.
“Usually raids for artificially ripened mangoes are carried out in April and May. This year the raids were advanced following specific information,” said food safety officer K. Chandran.
The seized fruits were handed over to persons in charge at the biogas plant functioning inside Vellalore dumpyard.

Four years of pesticide surveillance pays off

KOCHI: People in Kerala are consuming vegetables and fruits with lesser pesticide residues in the last couple of years, thanks to the initiatives of state departments of agriculture and food safety departments.
According to agriculture department officials, in the last four years, there has been a reduction in the percentage of pesticide contamination. The total percentage of contamination has come down from 18 per cent in 2013 to eight per cent in 2016. "These figures are based on the concept of presence of pesticide residue rather than magnitude, quantity or toxicity. We went by the simple principle that the pesticide should not be present in it," said Dr Thomas Biju Mathew, project coordinator and head, Pesticide Residue Research and Analytical Laboratory (PRAAL), College of Agriculture, Vellayani.
He said that highest quantum of pesticide residues were seen in chillies, mint, coriander, curry leaves, leafy vegetables, carrots and cauliflower.
"One of the most important lessons that people learnt was to cultivate something of their own in their backyard.When we started off, almost 75% of the produce came from outside the state.Now this has come down drastically ," he added.
However, the concern remains over the contamination seen in condiments and spices. The samples were collected from the second year and even now there is no drop in the residue seen in many of the powders. The common pesticide residues found were Chlorpyriphos, Cypermethrin, Fenvalerate, Bifenthrin, Lambda Cyhalothrin, Dimethoate, Profenophos, Malathion and Ethion.
Interestingly , rice, be it from Kerala or outside, does not seem to have been affected by pesticides. "The integrated pest management is in place in case of paddy . Also, even if there is some kind of spraying, it is done within 60 days while the harvest is in 90 days. Later, there is a process of drying to milling which will further clear any kind of residues," he added.
In many cases, apart from increased surveillance, officials of the food safety and PRAAL who collected samples from super markets and high-end shops which were selling pesticide-ridden produce under the guise of organic products were alerted and warned. They were told to monitor and correct their methods of acquisition and monitoring if they were selling it as `organic' brands.

UP slaughterhouse crackdown: Here's all you need to know about laws regulating abattoirs

The issue around the Uttar Pradesh government's crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses gained further steam on Monday with thousands of meat sellers going on strike for an indefinite period.
The strike, which started on Monday, has brought the over Rs 15,000-crore industry that employs 25 lakh people in the state, to a grinding halt. The issue also came up for discussion in Parliament on Tuesday, with the central government claiming that only illegal slaughterhouses were closed.
Meat sellers in the state, however, allege that police were raiding shops and forcing the closure of their establishments despite having valid licences. They said the ban on slaughterhouses has caused a shortage in meat supply across the state, as thousands of meat sellers have been forced to down shutters for an indefinite period of time, as uncertainty over the state government's policy continues.
Meanwhile, with contrasting arguments emerging, there is no making of the rights and wrongs in the issue. The issue has the right to livelihood of lakhs of people and their dependents on one hand, and the law of the land and crucial environmental checks on the other.
Considering only illegal slaughterhouses are the ones targeted, or so the government claims, here's a breakdown on the legal aspects of the issue to help define what exactly is a "legal slaughterhouse".
Legal meat, illegal meat
Cow slaughter is illegal in Uttar Pradesh, as is in most parts of India. However, the slaughtering of buffaloes, water buffaloes and other cattle is not banned. The protection of cows and calves is also one of the directive principles of state policy contained in Article 48 of the Constitution. However, a blanket ban remains very much a state subject. Various states have chosen to outlaw cow slaughter, as per local customs and culinary preferences, but in Uttar Pradesh, buffalo meat is legal as of now.
An issue more about environment than religious sentiments?
It is important to point out at the onset that the issue of slaughterhouses, in practical terms, is mostly about the environmental norms, blatantly flouted by the illegal units, usually in connivance with local administration and politicians.
Even though much of the debate has bordered around the religious sentiments of the Hindu community, which revers the cow, and the ruling party's alleged attempts to encourage vegetarianism, a much neglected aspect is its environmental implications. Slaughterhouses are listed under the 'red' category (amid those industries with highest release of effluents and pollutants in environment) of industries, which are considered heavily polluting and are covered under the central action plan for consent management.
This essentially means that abattoirs are counted amid industries that are most polluting for water bodies, and if unregulated can be a serious menace to public health.
According to a list put out by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board in 2015, of the 129 industrial units (deemed very hazardous for the environment) that have not installed anti-pollution devices, 44 units are slaughterhouses.
What clearances are required before an abattoir can operate legally in UP?
There are no records of illegal slaughterhouses available officially. However, according to industry insiders, there could be an estimated 140 abattoirs and over 50,000 meat shops that don't have permission to operate, IANS reported. In the current crackdown, the government has rounded up more than 20 illegal slaughterhouses and several meat shops.
To open a slaughterhouse in India, the applicant is required to apply for land use clearance for opening the unit. However, it is after this step that a series of checks and norms kick in that are specific to this industry. According to Uttar Pradesh's Department of Infrastructue and Industrial development, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) must be obtained from the district authorities and the UPPCB, both of which carry out separate inspections to determine whether the unit is being built in accordance with the set norms.
After UPPCB grants an environmental clearance, the plant owner is then required to approach the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), the Union government's body that regulates the export of all products. Before granting approval for export of the meat, APEDA has its own procedures and series of checks and inspections which are carried out before an NOC is granted.
The slaughterhouses should further operate in accordance with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Slaughter House) Rules, 2001, that outlines further laws to ensure the health and well being of cattle being slaughtered. Amid other things, it requires a large and airy reception, and resting area for the cattle and a compulsory examination by a veterinary doctor, 24 hours before they are slaughtered.
Moreover, an abattoir should also be licensed and registered with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), under the Food Safety (License and Registration of Food Business) Regulations Act, 2011.
Besides, even after the slaughterhouses have obtained these clearances, they are required to maintain standards of operations in accordance with the environmental, hygiene and sanitation, and prevention of animal cruelty norms in their day to day operation.
NGT intervention
In May 2015, hearing a plea of an environmental activist, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had ruled that any slaughterhouse that is operating without the necessary permission from local authorities — particularly the UPPCB — should not be allowed to operate. According to a report in The Indian Express, it is this order that the UP government has cited time and again in justifying its action against the slaughterhouses. The NGT also asked UPPCB to form a form a committee that will issue certificates to small shops on a quarterly basis.
The NGT order had come on a petition alleging that "the abattoirs were discharging untreated effluents contaminated with animal waste and blood of slaughtered animals in open drains which go into the tributaries of Ganga and Yamuna, polluting them," according to a PTI report at the time published in OneIndia.
"As per official records, more than 8.5 lakhs cattle are slaughtered annually in Uttar Pradesh, at its 115 registered abattoirs. However, a bare perusal of the records of total export made by the state shows that it is several times higher than the amount mentioned in the records and data maintained by UP," the petitioner had said.

Now Jharkhand bans illegal abattoirs

HIGHLIGHTS
  • Slaughterhouses given 72 hours to shut their illegal businesses if they failed to obtain licence from relevant authorities
  • No abattoir in the state had licence from Food Safety and Standards Authority of India
Slaughter of cow and buffalobanned in Jharkhand
RANCHI: Days after the Aditya Nath Yogi government's crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses in Uttar Pradesh, another BJP-ruled state, Jharkhand, decided to ban all illegal slaughterhouses in the state on Monday. The slaughterhouses were given 72 hours to shut their illegal businesses if they failed to obtain licence from relevant authorities.
SKG Rahate, principal secretary, home, issued an order to all deputy commissioners and SPs along with authorities of municipal corporations, municipalities and notified area committees to ensure that the closure was effected immediately. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, that has issued licences to 62 abattoirs across the country, has not issued the same to even one unit in the state.
None of the country's 75 approved abattoirs-cum-meat processing plants or 34 approved meat processing units have permission from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority to operate. The Ranchi Municipal Corporation has, however, issued licenses to some slaughterhouses.
"Keeping in view safety and health of the general public, steps may immediately be taken for closure of illegal slaughterhouses. The principal secretary said that proper rules and regulations are already in place, issued by the department of animal husbandry, municipal bodies and health department," the order stated.
With the issuance of the order, people engaged in the sale of goat meat or chicken will have to obtain licences from municipal bodies while those involved in slaughter of cows and buffaloes would have to close their "illegal" business. In 2004-05, the Jharkhand government had banned slaughter of cow and buffalo, violation of which invited imprisonment up to 10 years and a fine of Rs 10,000.
Ranchi Municipal Corporation deputy mayor Sanjeev Vijayvargiya said most abattoirs didn't have a valid licence, and killing, selling or possessing cow meat was done in violation of the law.

FSSAI to partner global, desi firms to up food safety levels

NEW DELHI, MARCH 27: 
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is looking to partner global and domestic companies to raise the levels of food safety and hygiene in the country. The regulator is also looking to engage with food companies on various other aspects such as compliance and developing robust consumer grievances processes.
FSSAI CEO Pawan Agarwal said safe and nutritious food for all is a “shared responsibility”.
“We are looking to engage with corporates to scale up initiatives to ensure the availability of safe and nutritious food in the country. We are also looking to engage with companies on various other areas such as compliance, training and capacity building, among others,” he added.
The regulator on Monday signed an MoU with Coca-Cola India to train 50,000 streetfood vendors under its project “Clean Street Food” across India over the next three years. While Coca-Cola India will handle programme execution through its bottling plants network, FSSAI will help develop the training content.
Agarwal pointed out that several companies such as ITC, Mondelez India, Nestle India, Jubilant FoodWorks and TetraPak have recently collaborated with the regulator to create awareness about food safety and hygiene across schools, retailers, food vendors as well as streetfood vendors.
Project “Clean Street Food” will be rolled out in phases starting with Ludhiana in mid-April, and expanded to nine States gradually.
Venkatesh Kini, President, Coca-Cola India and South West Asia, said: “We have been training kirana retailers for the past 10 ten years under our initiative ‘Parivartan’. This collaboration with FSSAI will help broaden the horizons of our initiative. We will train owners and employers of small food service outlets and streetfood vendors on the basic tenets of food safety.”

Coca-Cola ties up with FSSAI to train street food vendors

Coca-Cola India has tied up with FSSAI to train 50,000 street food vendors over the next three years in food safety, hygiene and waste management
Coca-Cola and FSSAI are now finalizing the curriculum for the training of street food vendors. 
New Delhi: A sector regulator and the companies under its watch aren’t usually partners. The regulator frames the rules and ensures that companies abide by them. But Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), believes companies can join hands with the food regulator in its primary task—ensuring safe food for every Indian.
Towards that end, the local unit of American beverages company Coca-Cola Co. formally singed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with FSSAI on Monday. Under the agreement, Coca-Cola India will train 50,000 street food vendors, irrespective of items they sell, over the next three years. The vendors will get training on how to prepare safe food, ensure hygiene, and in waste management.
Coca-Cola and FSSAI are now finalizing the curriculum for the training. The field training will start next month in Ludhiana, Punjab. Training retailers is not new for Coca-Cola. It has, in the past 10 years, offered training to about 350,000 retailers in India, but has never trained street food vendors, said Venkatesh Kini, president (India and South West Asia), Coca-Cola.
Coca-Cola is not alone. Nestle India Ltd, the local arm of the Swiss packaged food company whose single-largest revenue earner Maggi instant noodles was banned by FSSAI in 2015 for about six months on safety concerns, has recently worked with the regulator to train 700 street food vendors in Goa.
“Besides Nestle and Coca-Cola, we are also working with companies like ITC Ltd, Mondelez India, TetraPak, Jubilant FoodWorks, Yum Brands, among others, for different projects related to nutrition and food safety,” Agarwal said.
While cigarette-to-biscuit maker ITC is working with FSSAI to ensure nutritious food at about 10,000 schools, Mondelez is working on ensuring safe food and nutrition at 40 underprivileged schools in north Delhi besides the points of sale in the retail market, according to the regulator. Like Coca-Cola, for most of the companies, these activities will be part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.
"Besides Nestle and Coca-Cola, we are also working with companies like ITC Ltd, Mondelez India, TetraPak, Jubilant FoodWorks, Yum Brands, among others, for different projects related to nutrition and food safety"- Pawan Kumar Agarwal, CEO of FSSAI
For the past few months, Agarwal has been vocal about FSSAI’s aim to ensure safe and nutritious food for every Indian. In September last year, it initiated a special programme to promote safe food at all places including homes, schools, offices, eateries and even religious places while commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
The regulator had, in January, said it aims to make use of fortified wheat flour, fortified edible oil and double fortified iodized salt mandatory for mid-day meals by December 2019 and in the public distribution system (PDS) by January 2020. Last week, FSSAI said in a statement that all major edible oil makers in India have agreed to add vitamins A and D to make their products fortified within the next three months.
According to the regulator’s estimates, fortification of edible oil with added vitamins A and D will increase manufacturing cost by 10 paise per litre.
The regulator had finalized standards for fortified rice, wheat flour, milk, edible oil and salt in January.