May 15, 2014

1.15 tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes seized

Food Safety Officials on Wednesday seized 1.15 tonnes of artificially ripened mangoes from several shops here.
Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing) Designated Officer
R. Kathiravan said that raids were conducted at 10 wholesale markets at Ukkadam and five retail shops in Gandhipuram.
Of these, five markets at Ukkadam and a shop in Gandhipuram were found selling artificially ripened mangoes. Further, around 50 kg of calcium carbide stones were seized from a grocery shop in Ukkadam fish market. The shop owners have been warned of stringent action if they indulged in such activities again.
A team comprising Food Safety Officers – K . Chandran, R. Govindarajan, S. Gerald Sathiapunithan, R. Rajendran, K. Suruli and S. Velusamy – conducted the raid. The mangoes would be buried at the Corporation Compost Yard at Vellalore. Such raids would continue in the future as well, he added.

DINAMALAR NEWS


'Veggies full of river toxins'

NEW DELHI: It's not just pesticides-a toxic mix of sewage and industrial effluents may be contaminating what's grown on the bed of the Yamuna. The quality of the fruits and vegetables-that feed most of Delhi's population-may thus stand severely compromised, according to two 
applications filed in Delhi high court and National Green Tribunal, one pleading for a ban on artificial colours and waxing of produce and the other dwelling on how the river's pollution is risking the lives of people who eat greens grown on its soil.
The department of food safety, Delhi, too, recently released an advertisement asking consumers to clean their fruits and vegetables in various solutions to do away with chemical residue.
Several consignments of fruit and vegetable exports from India have been rejected for quality issues in the recent past-the European Union banning the import of mangoes and four vegetables starting May 1 after fruit flies were detected in 207 consignments. Even Saudi Arabia banned import of Indian chillis earlier this month due to presence of high pesticide residues.
The recent plea in NGT by Yamuna Jiye Abhiyan suggests large scalepollution of Yamuna from industrial effluents and sewage that has led to groundwater pollution and soil pollution. Vegetables irrigated by this contaminated water are laced with heavy metals and chemical residues, the application says. It quotes various studies including a 2012 The Energy and Resources Institute (Teri) study that found the level of toxic metals like nickel, lead, manganese, chromium and zinc high in many water samples. At one locations, lead levels were 10 times more than those anywhere else in the river and at another location near a thermal power plant, mercury concentration was about 200 times more than United States Environmental Protection Agency standard.
It also quotes a 2012 study by National Reference Trace Organics Laboratory and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in association with the environment ministry that found Lindane, a carcinogenic insecticide in Yamuna water. RTI revelations from 2013 of the amount of the sewage and industrial effluents discharged in the river from a number of cities upstream have also been submitted.
The application seeks NGT implead CPCBCentral Pollution Control Board as a respondent in the case and direct CPCB or the state pollution control board to prepare a report on what action must be taken to stop this sort of contamination.
"Vegetables contaminated with such toxins can impact normal health quite seriously. It can cause a range of conditions including cancers, heart disease, brain, kidney and liver diseases, muscle and general weakness," Dr SP Byotra, head of internal medicine at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said.
Activist Manoj Misra, who filed the application, said it that the application shouldn't be misunderstood as a complaint against farmers. "The application is not against farmers. They have no choice but to use polluted water. It is the fault of pollution agencies and industries who failed to control it," said Misra.
The other application in HC says the department of food safety in Delhi is doing nothing about polished food grains and coloured vegetables and fruits containing hazardous substances that are being sold in wholesale and retail outlets. Ananthoo, coordinator of a civil society group on food safety, said "middlemen and retailers usually inject colours in fruits like watermelon and pomegranate. Waxing of apples is also common around the country where petroleum-based wax is used ". Waxing is usually done to retard shrinkage and make the produce appear fresh.

FDA shuts down food processing units in Navelim, Sao Jose de Areal

MARGAO: The director for Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Salim Veljee, on Tuesday, informed that two food processing units were shut down in Navelim and Sao Jose de Areal for manufacturing food items without food safety licences thereby violating the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and rules and regulation 2011.
“The owners are directed not to start any food related activities until they obtain necessary food safety licences from the FDA. They are further asked to ensure that food articles are manufactured and marketed only after affixing proper labels containing all particulars like packed date, best before use, name and address of the manufacturers, food safety license of the manufacturer as well as the nutritional claims of such food articles,” he stated.
Veljee said that the food safety officers of the FDA, Abel Rodrigues, Shailesh Shenvi, Rajaram Patil and Shivdas Naik intercepted three cycle vendors at Navelim, Salcete, who were carrying un-labelled food articles for distribution to various gadas, bar and restaurants, etc.
The officers, based on the clues from these cyclists reached at thepremises of the manufacturer Ramesh Devar at Colmorod-Navelim, Salcete. Ramesh was found engaged in processing kurkure, ground nuts, etc. in an un-hygienic condition and the food products also did not carrying any label declaration, Veljee said adding, the said premises was also found operating without any valid food safety licenses. 
Stock of food items worth Rs 20,000 was seized by the officials and subsequently destroyed in the presence of the owner, the FDA director said.
He further informed that the FDA officers later inspected a manufacturing unit belonging to Suresh Choudhary of M/s Choudhary Food Products at Comba, Sao Jose de Areal. “Suresh too was engaged in processing foodarticles like shev, arsan, chips, shankerpadi and laddos without holding any valid food safety licenses and the said food articles did not contain any labels or other declarations which are misbranded under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Rules/regulation 2011, Veljee said adding that the confiscated food items are collectively worth Rs 1.60 lakh which was later destroyed in the presence of the owner.