Jan 22, 2015

தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை தடையின்றி தாராள விற்பனை

தேவாரம், ஜன.22:
தடை செய்யப்பட்ட புகையிலை தேவாரத்தில் தடையின்றி விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது.
தமிழக அரசு புற்று நோயை ஏற்படுத்தக்கூடிய புகையிலை பொருட்களை விற்பனை செய்ய தடை விதித்துள்ளது. இதனையடுத்து தேவாரம், கோம்பை, பண்ணைப்புரம், உள்ளிட்ட ஊர்களை சுற்றிலும் உள்ள கிராமங்களில் அதிரடி சோ தனை நடத்தி புகையிலை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல் செய்யப்பட்டன. பின்பு இதனை கண்டுகொள்ளாமல் விட்டுவிட்டனர். இதனால் புகையிலை பொருட்கள் மிக தாராளமாக விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகின்றன. குறிப்பாக, தேவாரம் பகுதிகளில் இருந்து தினந்தோறும் கேரளாவிற்கு அதிகளவில் வேலைக்கு செல்கின்றனர். இவர்களை குறி வைத்தே புகையிலை பொருட்கள் அதிகளவில் தேவாரத்தை சுற்றிலும் உள்ள கிராமங்களில் விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகின்றன. பெரும்பாலும் கம்பம், சின்னமனூரில் கொள்முதல் செய்யப்பட்டு இங்கு விற்பனை நடக்கிறது.
பெட்டிக்கடைகள், பலசரக்கு கடைகளில் மறைத்து வைத்து பான் மசாலா, புகையிலை பொருட்களை விற்பனை செய்கின்றனர். கிராக்கி அதிகம் என்பதால் கூடுதல் விலைக்கு விற்பனை செய்யப்படுகிறது. ஒரு பாக்கெட்டிற்கு ரூ.5 முதல் ரூ.7 வரை கூடுதலாக வைத்து விற்பனை செய்கின்றனர்.
இதுகுறித்து சமூக ஆர்வலர்கள் கூறுகையில், அதிகளவில் போதை பாக்குகள், புகையிலை பொருட்கள் தடையின்றி விற்கப்படுகிறது. பள்ளிகளுக்கு அருகிலேயே விற்பனை நடந்தாலும் அதிகாரிகள் கண்டுகொள்வதில்லை. எனவே, இதுகுறித்து உரிய நடவடிக்கை எடுக்க வேண்டும் என்றனர்.

Do you know what meat you eat?

While over 90% meat in Pune is unhealthy and produced illegally, even PMC has only one vet to check nearly thousands of animals that go to slaughter daily
If you’re the kind that appreciates a juicy steak or a meat curry frequently, here’s a statistic to shock you off your table — over 90 per cent of meat consumed by Pune is unauthorised and undergoes no scrutiny, leaving just 10 per cent to be produced in legally-run slaughterhouses.
Shockingly, however, with only one veterinary doctor filling in for six official positions at the civic body-run abattoirs, even the latter 10 per cent undergoes scant scrutiny, leading experts to believe that several related diseases have been on the rise.
Of the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) three official slaughterhouses in Kondhwa, Kasba and Nana Peth, only a single veterinary doctor has been overlooking operations for more than two decades. Dr Prakash Wagh told Mirror, “Every day, at each slaughterhouse, at least 300 animals are butchered, of which 100 are cattle.
There are six approved posts for vets, but I am the only one looking after all the animals, which is very hectic.“
As per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, a veterinary doctor should conduct 90-odd ante-mortems -Wagh looks at hundreds a day. He added, “Daily, at least 5-10 animals are kept aside after postmortems for burial. This is only after a gross examination, not even a thorough, detailed check-up, as completing a set daily target leaves me with very less time.“ While this has been going on for 22 years, Dr Wagh's pleas for assistants have gone in vain. He said, “I observe as many animals as I can. It becomes impossible to scrutinise each one, so I cannot be blamed if substandard meat is reaching homes. I am aware that we are sending out unhealthy meat into the market. PMC knows I am short-staffed, but it has failed to provide more doctors.“
Moreover, he said, illegal slaughterhouses where animals are butchered sans a vet's approval have become rather common these days, adding, “This is a serious threat to public health -I have been fighting for more doctors to carry out ante-mortems.“ Animal welfare officer of the Animal Welfare Board of India, Manoj Oswal, affirmed, “Almost 90 per cent of meat is produced by small-time roadside shops, which often keep meat in open, easily accessible to pathogens and chemicals. Unhealthy meat consumption can lead to prostate and colon cancer; antibiotic resistance cases also increase when non-vetted meat and meat products are consumed.“
Dr A E Pavra, general manager of the Deonar Abattoir, the largest slaughterhouse in Asia, offered a counterpoint, saying, “We have 28 vets to conduct ante-mortems and post-mortems of all slaughtered animals. We also issue a fit for consumption certificate for every animal.“
PMC health chief Dr ST Pardeshi only said, “It is the FDA's responsibility to approve shops. However, after the 2006 FSSAI Act, FDA should urge people already in the meat business to register and re-register as well. It is known that people slaughter animals without vet approvals -to nab them, we will soon start a drive with FDA, but only after adding more doctors to our team. There has been a request to add six more vets, which will be placed for further approval at our meetings.“
State FDA chief Purushottam Bhapkar said, “We have started a drive to curb illegal meat production statewide and educate people about health hazards. Often, people end up buying from local vendors, who keep meat in unhygienic places, possibly leading to many illnesses. Besides issuing and approving licenses, we will also help meat shop owners study and educate themselves about illegal slaughtering and the hazards that consumption of such non-vetted products can cause.“
DCB HAS MEAT ISSUES TOO
Not just Pune, but the Dehu Road Cantonment Board (DCB) also seems to be serving low quality and substandard meat and meat products. A sanitary official from DCB told Mirror on condition of anonymity, “We hardly cut three goats and sheep a day; more than 90 per cent meat production is done illegally and unchecked. Moreover, officially-produced meat is hardly bought, as the slaughterhouse is near a graveyard, and people are suspicious and superstitious about it. Plus, we lack veterinary doctors and a proper transportation mechanism.“ DCB chief executive officer Abhishek Tripathi said, “We have two slaughterhouses in DCB -both are lying defunct, as we lack facilities like manpower, machines and effluent treatment plants. All we need is an okay from the army command to set protocol for these, but that has not been coming. I have been trying to start both slaughterhouses here soon, as during the coming festive season, illegal meat production rises to a great extent.“

BID TO PROTECT DOMESTIC POULTRY - India to Put Restrictions OnImport of US Chicken Legs

New Delhi:
Rules may propose to keep out frozen chicken older than six months and those that have consumed hormones or genetically modified feed; new norms may kick in within 6 months
India is set to tighten norms for imports of American chicken legs by proposing to keep out frozen chicken older than six months and those that have consumed hormones or genetically modified feed as the country prepares to contest a WTO order to lift a ban on purchases of US poultry.
The new standards, which may kick in within six months, could offer some protection to the growing domestic poultry industry from competitively priced American chicken legs.
While the Indian industry will also have to meet these food safety norms, being brought in as part of the government's quality initiative, it has an advantage since it largely consists of fresh poultry and does not rely on GM feed.
The World Trade Organization asked India in October to lift a ban on American chicken, imposed on account of avian influenza in 2007, calling it `unscientific' and non-compliant with the global trade body's rules.
India will challenge the WTO order in the appellate body in a couple of days, citing domestic food safety concerns.
The new import norms are being prepared by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in consultation with the department of commerce and the department of animal husbandry, dairying & fisheries.
“We are working out standards for poultry and are discussing banning the sale of chicken older than six months. Also, poultry must not be fed with genetically modified feed, growth hormones and antibiotics,“ a government official said. US frozen chicken legs are stored for about four to five years and its poultry consume growth hormones and GM feed, a significant concern in India.
FSSAI has put out a draft order for meat and poultry products, inviting public comments. It has proposed that poultry birds should not be given feed containing meat, bone and blood.Besides, the use of antibiotics in feed and growth hormones will not be allowed.
It also said that slaughtering or processing of bovine meat will be prohibited where poultry meat is produced for human consumption.
“The order will come into effect from July 2015,“ FSSAI said in the draft order.
US consumers prefer chicken breasts and the less-favoured legs are frozen for export to other markets at highly competitive prices. Chicken legs, which are popular in India, are priced locally at about Rs 150-170 per kg, while the US sells them at Rs 40-50 per kg.
The FSSAI will work with the department of animal husbandry to modify health certificates for meat and poultry sold to India.
“It will require competent authority of the exporting country to provide certifications to India in compliance with requirements to allow for placing of meat and poultry in Indian market,“ it said in the draft order. More than 20 countries, including members of the EU, South Korea and South Africa, have imposed curbs on poultry from certain US states or the entire country. China halted imports of US poultry and eggs after an avian flu strain was detected in the Pacific Northwest. The EU banned US chicken on account of chlorine treatment.

Street vendors directed to give prominence to hygiene

MYSURU: Street vendors were on Tuesday directed to familiarize themselves with Street Vendors' Act (2014) in order to ensure job security.
Speaking during Street Vendors' Day celebrations at Vidyashankara Nilaya here on Tuesday, additional regional commissioner B K Ravi said that street vendors must know the provisions of the Act as it would protect their interests. "Empowerment of street vendors can be achieved only if they are aware of rights and facilities provided to them. Unless you are aware of your rights, you can't protect yourself from harassment like forcible eviction," Ravi added.
"The act, if implemented effectively, will ensure job security to vendors as they can know where they can run their business," said Ravi. In the heritage city, where tourist inflow is high, around 6,000 people depend on roadside business for their livelihood. Following the ordinance of Street Vendors Act, MCC will form Town Vending Zone after conducting a survey of street vendors in the city. It will decide on the number of vendors in each area.
Food officer M S Lokesh called upon street vendors to ensure hygiene. "Grooming of self is necessary and so is wearing aprons. They must keep soap to wash hands. Maintaining cleanliness in their surroundings will attract more customers, especially tourists," he said.
Vendors were also asked to build a good rapport with their customers. College students often relish street food like pani puri. In this regard, vendors were asked to be conscious about hygiene.
Brochures containing information of Street Vendors Act (2014) and Food Safety and Standard Act (2006) were distributed among the participants.

DINAMALAR NEWS


DINAMALAR NEWS


Dr Harshdeep S Kamble succeeds Bhapkar as FDA Maharashtra commissioner


Mumbai
Dr Harshdeep Shriram Kamble, Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer of the 1997 batch belonging to the Maharashtra cadre and ex-Aurangabad municipal commissioner, succeeded Purushottam Bhapkar as commissioner, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Maharashtra, yesterday.
The latter, who was at the helm for just five months, was one of the eleven bureaucrats transferred by state chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in the fourth round of transfers, which commenced three weeks ago. He said, “I have now assumed office as head of the state cooperative marketing federation. I would not be in a position to comment on the chief minister’s decision to transfer me.”