Mar 4, 2013

Dinakaran


Akshaya Patra Foundation to focus on safety & hygiene in mid-day meals

In a major effort to ensure safety and hygiene in mid-day meals, the Akshaya Patra Foundation and the Department of Public Education, government of Karnataka teamed-up to organise a seminar titled Suraksha, highlighting the importance of the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006. Experts deliberated on the implications of the mid-day meal scheme and the challenges in its implementation at the seminar, in which 170 mid-day meals from all over the state participated.

"The seminar has been organised to educate officials at the taluk and district levels about hygiene and other factors they should take into consideration, when it comes to mid-day meals. We are also educating them about the implications of ignorance under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA)," said Vinay N Kumar, general manager (operations), Akshaya Patra Foundation.

"Although the Act has been in place since 2006, there is not much awareness among the stakeholders. There is no clarity on how can it be used, from the consumer's point of view. But it strictly talks about implications that one might have to face as a food establishment in case of any injury," said Mamatha Mishra, chief executive officer, Health First, a service providing organisation looking into the mid-day meal process to make it time, health and cost-effective through automation.

The mid-day meal quality manual, which was launched at the seminar, will be distributed to all government schools which receive mid-day meals from the foundation. The quality manual has guidelines for teachers and other implementing authorities on precautionary methods to be adopted, safety procedures to be followed while handling a mid-day meal and necessary action to be taken during an emergency.

Alcohol manufacturers may move court over unacceptable licensing rules

The standards set for licensing and registration under the Food Safety and Standards Act (FSSA), 2006, by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the country's apex food regulator, are not acceptable to alcoholic beverage manufacturers.

The head of an Indian trade body representing multinational alcohol brands has termed the licensing and registration norms proposed by FSSAI and the proposal to set nationwide alcohol limits in beverages a waste of time, adding that it would create good governance issues.

State excise departments will not have a problem with the new licensing and registration procedure and there will be no clash of interest between them and FSSAI, in which the powers to pull alcohol manufacturers and those in the beverage industry up have been vested.

Apart from licensing and registration from alcohol manufacturers, wholesalers, suppliers and traders, FSSAI has set draft standards for the whole spectrum of alcohol beverages (defined by the Act as food) to set the maximum permissible alcohol limits on the grounds of public safety.

One of the opponents of FSSAI's licensing and registration standards for the alcohol industry is Pramod Krishna, president, Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies (CIABC), which represents Diageo, Bacardi, Martini and Beam Global.

He said, “We will take legal action to stop FSSAI from regulating alcoholic drinks. In relation to FSSAI's regulations, we have filed a writ in the Bombay High Court, because the Constitution mandates that alcoholic beverages are a state subject.”

“And for all practical purposes, they are governed by the excise laws of the states. If FSSAI comes into the picture, all the players in the alcohol industry would be harassed and would face a lot of problems,” Krishna added.

He added, “The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, was implemented by the health ministry, and our concern was that if our industry had two regulatory authorities, it would create problems of good governance.”

Rushabh Bhayani, partner, Nagindas Hiralal Bhayani, informed, “We are not at all aware about FSSAI's licensing and registration for the alcoholic beverage industry. But we are already under the state excise department's regulations. Regulations by other bodies will create chaos for the alcohol industry.”

Although FSSAI is ready to bring all FBOs selling alcoholic beverages under the purview of licensing and registration, most FBOs have not obtained licences or registered, and are vehemently opposing the standards laid down by the apex food regulator.

Food safety champions

Chennaites should have tasted cookies, hot cakes or at least loaf of bread from Adyar Bakery, but the student members of Citizen Consumer Club, D.G. Vaishnav College, had the opportunity to visit their manufacturing unit to see how things work from the initial baking of bread to the final product of a rich creamy cake. We could see the raw material used, storage, types of utensils used, ventilation and hygienic practices followed in the unit. This was part of a four-day residential training organised by Food Safety & Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and Consumer Association of India (CAI). This training-cum-workshop was aimed at creating an awareness on Food Safety and Standards Act 2006.
FSSAI, in association with CAI, has partnered with Consumer Club of D.G. Vaishnav College to train 20 students into Food Safety Champions (FSC). They will in turn conduct a mass awareness campaign in Chennai in February, 2013.
This residential training gave students an all-round exposure about the Act. This major responsibility of sensitising the masses about this new Act is now shouldered upon FSC, and the training is the first of its kind initiated by Government of India. As part of the training programme, we also visited Food Business Operators at the Elliot Beach and conveyed the importance of the Act.
The writer is a second-year M.Com D.G. Vaishnav College

Food safety workshop held

IMPHAL, Mar 3: A one-day workshop on 'Food Safety and Regulations: Are We Prepared for a Safe Food', organised by Society for Agriculture, Food and Innovation (SAFI) in association with the North Eastern Finance Development Corporation (Nedfi) was held today at the Food Processing Training Hall, Porompat.
Keirao AC MLA Thamarjit Karam and Principal Secretary (Commerce & Industries) Oinam Nabakishore attended the inauguration programme as the chief guest and president respectively while state Nodal Officer (Food Safety) Ch Sanajaoba, Nedfi branch manager (Imphal) Rajiv Khaidem and Managing Director of Food Safety Training & Research Centre, Maharashtra Durga Prasad Panda were the guests of honour. Regretting that a number of Central sponsored schemes continue to fail miserably in the State rather than benefit the common people as the welfare programmes intent to, MLA thamarjit opined that judicious implementation of the schemes and sincerity of implementing agencies/officials are two essential components for a scheme to be successful.
Highlighting that misuse of scheme funds and materials by corrupt officials has been one of chief factors for the people unable to reap the benefits, he suggested that the scheme implementing departments ensure assistance to self help groups and industrious individuals/entrepreneurs.
In his presidential address, Nabakishore said that along with increasing awareness of the consumers regarding food safety, there should be equal responsibility by the manufacturers to maintain standard food safety norms.
While conveying that a State Mission Authority would be set up very soon for judicious implementation of projects allotted to Manipur under the Ministry of Food Processing, the Principal Secretary also called upon the targeted beneficiaries to utilise the fund and material provision in a sincere and productive manner.
Rajiv Khaidem in his comment exuded confidence that there would certainly be development in Manipur as there has been increase in the number of educated and industrious entrepreneurs.
Informing that Nedfi had already provided Rs 50 crore loan to set up various industries in the State, the branch Manager assured to sustain the financial institution's endeavour to spur industrial development in Manipur.
According to State Nodal officer Ch Sanajaoba, it is mandatory for food manufacturing units to register as per provisions of the Food safety Act, passed by the Parliament in 2006.
He also asked food unregistered manufacturing units to comply with licensing regulations within 2014 to avoid shut-down of their respective units.