Apr 17, 2014

What are residues? How they become part of food?

Residue can be defined as a remainder obtained from a substance after a substantial portion of it is removed. Residues have presence in food products from the deliberate use of drugs or pesticides on animals & plants. That is why we consume residues as well while we eat Veg or non-veg foods and They could affect our body adversely. 
The drug residues include the parent compounds and/or their metabolites in any edible portion of the animal or plant product and include associated impurities of the pesticides or drug concerned. 
It could be noted here that the chemicals used in agriculture present a real threat to the saleability of animal or plant products if they are contaminated with the chemical residues
Some of the most common examples of residues are Mercury in fish, sulfonamides in pig products, iodine in milk and chlorinated hydrocarbons in beef. 
In harmonization with the international regulations, the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011, has laid down some guidelines for the permissible intake of residues in food which is obtained from the plant or animal. 
As per the FSSAI, The use of any of the following antibiotics and other Pharmacologically Active Substances shall be prohibited in any unit processing sea foods including shrimps, prawns or any other variety of fish and fishery products: 
(i) All Nitrofurans including
(ii) Furaltadone
(iii) Furazolidone
(iv) Furylfuramide
(v) Nifuratel
(vi) Nifuroxime
(vii) Nifurprazine
(viii) Nitrofurnatoin
(ix) Nitrofurazone
(x) Chloramphenicol
(xi) Neomycin
(xii) Nalidixic acid
(xiii) Sulphamethoxazole
(xiv) Aristolochia spp and preparations thereof
(xv) Chloroform
(xvi) Chloropromazine
(xvii) Cholchicine
(xviii) Dapsone
(xix) Dimetridazole
(xx) Metronidazole
(xxi) Ronidazole
(xxii) Ipronidazole
(xxiii) Other nitromidazoles
(xxiv) Clenbuterol
(xxv) Diethylstibestrol (DES)
(xxvi) Sulfanoamide drugs (except approved Sulfadimethoxine, Sulfabromomethazine and Sulfaethoxypyridazine)
(xxvii) Fluoroquinolones
(xxviii) Glycopeptides

Special lecture delivered at IUST’s food tech dept

Awantipora, April 16: Department of Food Technology Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) Awantipora today organized special lecture on Food Safety and Standards in the light of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) Act 2006.
Amir Parray, Technical Officer Food Approval Division (FSSAI) and alumnus of the Department of Food Technology delivered a lecture in the auditorium of IUST Awantipora. Amir Parray discussed the act in detail explaining its various facets.
He delineated the challenges faced by the FSSAI in implementing the act at various levels.
Before the lecture Tariq Ahmad Safapuri (Assistant Professor Food Tech IUST) welcomed the guest and introduced the topic to the audience.
The lecture was followed by an interactive session with the students of the Department.
Summing it up all Tariq Ahmad Safapuri thanked the guest for his thought provoking lecturer and hoped that the department will organize such activities/interactive sessions in future also.