Jun 10, 2015

Maggi-lovers hunt contraband snack in New Delhi after noodle ban

After a 15-day local government ban in New Delhi, noodle lovers are finding secret means to get their fix
An Indian shopkeeper removing packaged Maggi noodles from display in Allahabad last week 

The Maggi brand of noodles has reportedly become a sought-after contraband item in New Delhi as noodle-lovers try to get around a local government ban for a fix.
Last week, Nestlé recalled its instant snack nationwide, and New Delhi's government imposed a 15-day ban on the noodles after regulators reported excess levels of lead in a batch they tested.
But with shelves empty of the much-loved market-leader, shop-owners reported no drop in enquiries from hungry customers.
"The demand has been the same," one shop-owner told India's Hindustan Times.
A vendor prepares Maggi noodles at a roadside eatery in New Delhi ignoring the ban

Another coyly denied he had any in stock, before admitting that he had been pushing the noodles, one pack at a time, to trusted "old customers".
The embattled Maggi brand received some good news after Singapore's food safety regulator has cleared the instant snack for sale after imposing a temporary ban while tests were pending.
Nestlé remained adamant that its noodles are safe. The Swiss food giant said it has conducted tests on over 1,600 batches at its own and external labs and reports lead-levels "well within the regulatory limits established in India".
Indian slum children hold packets of Maggi brand noodles as they take part in a protest against them in Bhopal

Meanwhile it has emerged that the original batch of noodles, that regulators said tested positive for lead, was lost in the post for two months. Reuters news agency reported that the test-batch eventually turned up in Shimla in the foothills of the Himalayas, from where it was then sent to the Central Food Laboratory in Kolkata.
Nestlé has said in the past that the suspect batch may have been contaminated during its lengthy transit while company bosses suggested to Indian regulators that excess lead was detected because the samples "remained open for a long period of time" before testing.

FSSAI rejected items still sold in Starbucks outlet

Last week, FSSAI has handed over a list of 500 products rejected by it as of April 30, 2015 to the state food safety commissioners.

Global coffee chain Starbucks, which operates its cafes in India in partnership with Tatas, continues to sell products rejected by central food safety regulator FSSAI after risk assessment.
The company on its part said it is "diligently working with FSSAI" to provide information regarding pending applications.
The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had rejected applications submitted by Tata Starbucks for a total of 32 products in April.
These rejected products include coffee frappucino, vanilla syrup and hazelnut flavoured syrups, which are still sold at the cafe chain's outlet in the heart of the Capital.
When asked for comments, Tata Starbucks CEO Avani Davda said: "We are diligently working with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) to provide the technical information relating to our pending applications that they have requested."
She said the company imported globally standardised product ingredients, with all applicable authorisations and these are identical to the products that are served to customers in over 60 countries where Starbucks operates.
"As a premium global retailer, Starbucks has the highest standards for the experience, beverages and food we offer our customers and we are committed to complying with the regulations in every market we operate in," Davda said in an emailed reply.
The company, however, did not respond why it continued to sell the products which have been rejected by FSSAI.
Last week, FSSAI has handed over a list of 500 products rejected by it as of April 30, 2015 to the state food safety commissioners.
These included Kellogg India's 'special K Red berries' and Field Fresh Foods' natural vinegar, hot sauce (proprietary food) and egg myonnaise/salad dressing variants.
When contacted Kellogg India spokesperson said: "This product has not been launched in Indian market and will be available only once the approval is received from the authority."
Similarly, Field Fresh Foods spokesperson said: "The Hot Sauce (Proprietary Food) and Egg mayonnaise/Salad dressing variants mentioned in the application are still in the development process and not yet launched. The FSSAI did not approve the application due to inadequate information provided within the stipulated time, which is now being provided." Last week FSSAI had banned Nestle's Maggi saying it was 'unsafe and hazardous' after tests found presence of lead and monosodium glutamate above permissible limits. Nestle had also withdrawn the instant noodles brand from the market.
According to an official, FSSAI has asked state food safety commissioners to inspect and evaluate all packaged foods products in the country, including even those which are not registered with the authority.
"FSSAI top officials also directed the state government officials to start collecting samples of those products which have been rejected by the authority. In case if commissioners found any packaged food product unsafe to consume they are entitled to take action," the source said.

Now, Starbucks Coffees, Kellogg's K Berry + 498 Other Food Products Found Unsafe!

With Maggi being banned across the country for excessive levels of lead in it, the national food regulator, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Thursday handed down a list of approximately 500 products to food safety commissioners that were rejected on account of assessment of risk or safety.

The information by FSAAI says, "The list of applications, which were received in FSSAI for product approvals, and where the proposals have been rejected on assessment of risk or safety of the proposed products by the Product Approval & Screening Committee." 
Some very popular brands and star players in this field like Starbucks, Kellogg and Venky's names were also on the list. Scores of these products were found to have excessive levels of heavy metals, caffeine and iron fillings and therefore were not approved.



Consequently, Starbucks management issued a statement, "Starbucks is committed to complying with the regulations in every market we operate in. Our products meet Starbucks own stringent global quality standards. we are diligently working with the FSSAI to provide the information relating to our pending applications they have asked for".
Applications by Tata Starbucks that weren't approved include over around 30 odd variants of puddings, sauces, mixes, syrups, tea and coffee. Other products that were rejected include McCain's battered pepper and cheese bites, Venky's chicken Arabic-style kofta and crispy chicken burger patty, Kellogg's Special K-red berries, Del Monte's egg mayonnaise/salad dressing variants, natural vinegar and a proprietary hot sauce, and Ferrero Rocher's proprietary milky and cocoa spreads with cereals and milk chocolate.

'Maggi controversy stepping stone for packaged food industry'

"We strongly believe that Nestle India will rebound with a revamped product and packaging, which will slowly rebuild the brand equity," Nomura said and added that some other bigger brands of the company like infant nutrition portfolio and coffee business are likely to remain "insulated".


The Maggi controversy is likely to be a stepping stone in the evolution of country's packaged and processed food industry, which could result in better labelling, packaging and testing norms for the entire sector, a Nomura report said.
"We see the entire controversy as a stepping stone in the evolution of India's packaged and processed food industry," Manish Jain and Anup Sudhendranath of Nomura said in a research note, adding similar tests are likely to be conducted on other similar products and companies.
According to the Japanese financial services firm, the next logical step for the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) would be to tighten the labelling, packaging and testing norms for the entire sector, which in turn is positive for the consumer.
"This is a positive from the consumer's perspective and would help expedite the migration from the unorganised to the organised sector," Nomura said.
Maggi brand has been under the regulatory scanner due to allegations that the product contains higher than permissible levels of lead and traces of monosodium glutamate (MSG).
While Maggi's brand equity has more than likely been dented from a near to medium-term perspective, Nomura believes the company is taking all the right actions and will rebound strongly from the same.
"We strongly believe that Nestle India will rebound with a revamped product and packaging, which will slowly rebuild the brand equity," Nomura said and added that some other bigger brands of the company like infant nutrition portfolio and coffee business are likely to remain "insulated".
In October 2003, Cadbury brand was marred by a controversy when worms were found in their chocolates. However, recovery for the chocolate giant started by late 2004 and by June 2014, things were back to normal, Nomura said.
Another such incident was the coke pesticide issue.
In 2006, the Centre for Science and Environment alleged that Coca Cola and Pepsi were among a dozen soft drinks that contained high levels of pesticides and insecticides.
However, as was the case with Cadbury, the giants emerged strongly from the controversy with sales of the brand doubling between 2008-14 at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 17%, Nomura added.

The Maggi mess: Two-minute flash in the pan or a wake-up call?

Instead of blaming lazy mothers or turning to the likes of Baba Ramdev for patriotic noodles, it is time to take a good hard look at food safety standards.

Is the Maggi controversy a mere storm in a teacup? Are governments blowing it out of proportion?
We don’t agree. We think it is important to hold corporations (multinational and Indian, both) accountable to stringent food safety norms. But it is true that substantive points of the debate are in danger of being drowned out in the cacophony of jingoistic rhetoric.
Some argue that it is unfair and unbalanced to blame Maggi for excess lead in its product – because, they argue, the main source of that lead is ground water in India, which would also find its way into agricultural products in normal Indian diets. Pepsi and Coke had made a similar argument when a Centre for Science and Environment study found these drinks to have dangerous levels of pesticides. It is true that vegetables and grains in India have been found to have excessive traces of lead and other poisonous materials, but there are many reasons why Maggi (or Pepsi or Coke) cannot hide behind that argument.
Whose responsibility?
First, to argue that Indians cannot demand global food safety standards only because they are anyway exposed to unsafe food and water is simply a case of whataboutism.
Second, we can’t make a lazy comparison between, say, Nestlé, which makes and markets Maggi, and Indian farmers, who grow wheat or vegetables that may also contain dangerous traces of lead. Nestlé, unlike the farmers, is marketing a secondary product that has undergone processing. It is a multinational corporation with vast resources. It is duty-bound to spend money on processing technology to clean the ground water it uses if it contains unsafe quantities of lead, and to test its products before it sells them. Nestlé, instead, spent a mere Rs 19 crore on quality testing last year and Rs 445 crore on advertising. Advertising that falsely claims its product is not only harmless but healthy.
What about the lead and other toxins in our regular home-cooked food: our vegetables and grains and pulses? Here, it is clear that the buck stops squarely with the government. It is the state’s job to reduce pollution levels in water, clean up sources of water, rid the soil of toxins and pesticides, and monitor primary foods for toxin levels. The very fact that governments undertake high-profile projects to clean up the Ganga or Yamuna is a tacit admission that it is indeed their job to decontaminate water sources. This recognition must be taken to its logical conclusion, and the government has to take responsibility to check the toxins levels in our regular food, which, indeed, seem to be at dangerous highs. Incidentally, lead from painted idols immersed in lakes and rivers every year is a huge source of lead in water. Is the Modi government willing to take up this issue? Or is it content only to indulge in the sort of racist remarks that the defence minister recently made when he batted for "Make in India" by claiming that China-made Ganesha idols have "narrow eyes" that he felt were un-Indian?
Abysmal record
This, however, does not let Maggi – or, indeed, other processed products, including soft drinks and packaged water – off the hook. Nestle’s record on food safety and human rights is abysmal. In 2013, Nestle’'s Chief Executive Officer, Peter Brabeck, notoriously mocked activists for "banging on" with the "extreme" view that "water is a human right". Water, he said, should be priced and privatised. Nestlé is notorious for depleting ground water resources and selling expensive bottled water in poor countries, where it claims its water is a healthy alternative.
In the 1970s, Nestlé faced international boycott protests for its brazen attempts to advertise its baby food products as a superior substitute for breast milk in Asia, Africa and Latin America, thereby contributing to malnutrition and diarrhoea deaths among babies. Today, Nestlé contributes to unhealthy diets of children in India and elsewhere by marketing products like Maggi as part of the acceptable food basket.
Maggi is unhealthy, even if it did not contain added monosodium glutamate, or MSG as it is popularly called, and dangerous levels of lead. Maggi and other noodles are made primarily of maida – the worst possible form of processed wheat. Highly processed foods, by definition, cannot be healthy. Why does the Indian government allow any brand of noodles or, for that matter, any of the instant or processed foods, to advertise themselves as healthy? Fresh raw vegetables and fruit are practically the only instant foods that can be called healthy. Food safety regulators ought to ensure that their labels are accurate, and that they are prevented from claiming health benefits for junk foods.
Fixing the regulators
Much of the media attention in the Maggi case has been to harangue the "brand ambassadors" – the actors or models who feature in Maggi advertisements. Few have asked what the Food Safety Standards Authority of India was doing for the past three decades, when Maggi advertisements targeted kids and parents, claiming it was safe, healthy and nutritious?
One clue as to why the FSSAI has said and done nothing to hold Maggi, and other, similar products, accountable all these years, was provided by the Supreme Court, during a hearing of the Coca-Cola case in 2011 when it rapped the FSSAI on the knuckles for having representatives of Pepsi and Coca-Cola on its panel. Pointing out that that section 13 of the Food Safety Standard Act stipulates that only independent scientific experts can be appointed on such a panel, the Supreme Court Bench told the FSSAI:
"We are sorry to say that the panel does not consist of independent persons. It is contrary to the act. What kind of recommendations do you expect from the panel... The companies [cola companies] are selling everything they want. You [FSSAI] have not stopped anyone... For more than 18 months, you are sitting quiet on that [issue]. What is the reason for that?"
Ugly reality
The icing on the cake – or the MSG in the noodles, if you like – is that Nestlé India Chairman A Helio Waszyk and Managing Director Etienne Benet wrote a letter to shareholders, published in the latest annual report of the company, saying that India was "severely impacted by malnutrition" and that Nestlé India was "constantly researching and observing the role that food plays in the lives of consumers across the income pyramid….Our vision and ambition is to be the recognised leader of Nutrition, Health and Wellness in India….to develop products that enable consumers to lead better lives and help them to improve nutrition in their daily diets”.
So Nestlé claims it is not creating an Indian market for junk food. It is, instead, engaged in the noble project of combatting malnutrition in India. This would be a joke – but only if the Indian food safety regulators had not allowed them to get away with these claims. The truth is that it is fast becoming an ugly reality. Poor households cannot easily afford vegetables, pulses, eggs, milk. Maggi markets itself quite deliberately as a cheap, nutritious food. Increasingly, poor urban (and a growing number of rural) households opt for Maggi because it is relatively low-cost. All over the world, it is the poor who are condemned to consume junk food, while the more privileged have access to information as well as spending power to choose nutritious food.
Misogynist garnish 
In a discussion on nutrition and food, it could not be long before someone chose to blame women for malnutrition. And in India, it is no surprise that the medal for misogyny goes, once again, to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Usha Thakur, its Member of Legislative Assembly from Madhya Pradesh, said that mothers who were too lazy to make parathas and halwa were responsible for children's addiction to Maggi. Of course, she only displayed her own nutritional ignorance by imagining that oil/ghee-laden parathas and halwa are healthy. But what is really revealing is that she, backed by her vocal supporters including a horde of twitter trolls led by the inimitable Madhu Kishwar, sees no problem in holding that cooking is "women’s work", and shaming women for failing in that work.
Thakur, during a debate on ABP News, said that it was mothers’ duty to feed kids a diet that is "in keeping with Indian values". Thereby hangs an interesting tale. What is a diet that is "in keeping with Indian values"? The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Thakur’s state has discontinued eggs in the mid-day meals provided by the government in anganwadi child care centres and schools. India has worse rates of child mortality and malnutrition than sub-Saharan Africa, and Madhya Pradesh is no exception to the rest of India. Experience has shown that the vast majority of children who depend on the mid-day meals for better nutrition, relish eggs. Food taboos against eggs are limited to small minority of mostly upper caste Indians. Yet, the Madhya Pradesh government decrees that eggs must be kept out of mid-day meals because it may offend this minority.
It is apparent from the Madhya Pradesh government’s rejection of eggs and the Maharashtra government’s ban on beef, that the BJP’s notion of an "Indian values" diet, is the imposition of the diet of the upper caste minority on everyone else. Thakur’s remarks further remind us that in addition to bigotry and casteism, misogyny too has always been at the core of the BJP’s and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh's notion of Indian values. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has just displayed the same, when he said that the Bangladeshi Prime Minister was a strong leader against terrorism "despite being a woman".
Jingoist posturing 
Playing the patriot card against Maggi, Baba Ramdev, one of the most successful in India’s Godman business, has promised to market a “healthy alternative Maggi for children”.
It is dangerous to link food safety standards with patriotic jingoism. Ayurveda medicine products, for instance, are often high in lead, arsenic and other toxins. Will we be branded unpatriotic for asking whether Ramdev’s medicines and other Ayurveda products are tested for toxins? What are the testing standards followed for these products? Where is the transparency in testing procedures and results? Should our government, in the wake of the Maggi mess, not be reflecting on the failure of our testing and food safety standards, and correcting these, not just with respect to Maggi and MNCs but with respect to Indian companies too? Ramdev’s Patanjali and Divya Pharmacy are just as much profit-seeking corporations as Nestlé. These and other Indian companies cannot be allowed to benefit from lax and corrupt food safety regulations, any more than MNCs can.
Just banning Maggi and other noodles as an exercise in patriotic posturing, or paving the way for Ramdev-brand rather than ramen noodles, is unacceptable. The Maggi matter should not be a two-minute flash in the pan, but a wake-up call. We should demand a good hard look at the functioning of the FSSAI; a thorough overhaul of food safety, labelling and food advertising standards; and urgent government measures not only to hold companies strictly accountable to these standards but to take responsibility for cleaning up ground water and soil.
And, above all, the government should stop trying to subvert and scale back the Food Security Act, and should take full responsibility for ensuring nutritious and adequate food rations for every Indian. This would go a long way in ensuring that needy households don’t feed their kids empty calories in the shape of Maggi, instead of wholesome and nutritious meals.

POISON ON YOUR PLATTER - Your fruit bowl is loaded with toxins

Harmful Additives Artificially Ripen The Produce And Make Them Last Longer As Well As Look Prettier
Bright yellow. No pock marks.
Smells fine. But before you grab that ripe and juicy mango, here's a word of caution. There's every chance that it has been artificially ripened by calcium carbide, a cancer-caus ly ripened by calcium carbide, a cancer-causing chemical.
It's not just the kingly mangoes, almost every fruit in the market is dunked in, jabbed by, gassed or coated with chemicals. It's done to ripen them prematurely , to make them last longer and to make them look yummier.
So if mangoes are ripened in dark, dingy godowns amid calcium carbide sachets, water melons are injected with erythrosine to give a darker red hue while the highly pestsusceptible grapes are first subject to ex cessive pesticide spraying and then ripened by highly concentrated chemicals.
Of the 5,000 kg of fruits that come to Russell that come to Russell Market, the biggest wholesale fruit market in the city, over 3,000 kg go to five-star hotels, restaurants and clubs that require the best quality load every morning. Of the remaining, 10 per cent are rejected for reasons ranging from under-ripening, small size or presence of insects. The rest of the 2,000 kg fruits are kept aside for public consumption. They are bought by retail buyers, pushcart vendors and finally the unsuspecting public.
“We know that fruits received at Russell Market are artificially ripened, especially mangoes and bananas. But we have no control over this. If a fruit is decayed, we keep it aside and over 150 kg of such fruits go to the bin daily. However, the fruits rejected by five-star hotels and restaurants are resold to the local fruit vendors for a lower price,“ says Mohammed Idris Choudhary, secretary, Russell Market Traders' Association. Artificial ripening also impacts the fragrance and taste of the produce, he adds. However, the fruit vendors at Russell Market have been getting complaints against the Kashmiri and Washington variety of apples for their wax coating. “We are getting complaints from regular buyers who prefer the saffron coloured, not-so shining apples compared to the Kashmiri and Washington ones,“ says Mohammed Idris.
As for mangoes, Srinivas Gowda, president of the Mango Growers Association, Chikkaballapur, admits there are other effective ways to ripen mangoes, like the ethyl fumigation method. “They put it in a water solution of the compound with caustic soda and release the gas. This way, the fruit is uniformly ripened,“ he says.
While the gover nment departments take action at times, they haven't been able to effectively curb the spread of these forbidden fruits. “Most of the artificial ripening activities are rampant in godowns operated by the middlemen. Eight such godowns were seized last week and tonnes of mangoes destroyed in Mysuru,“ said Dr H S Shivakumar, joint director, food safety, Public Health Institute. Calcium carbide crystals were used in these godowns. In Bengaluru they were yet to take vigilant action, he added.
(Inputs by Kavana Desai)
TIMES VIEW
Consumers have long known that fruits are often artificially ripened so that they can be brought to market quickly. Not so long ago, some fruits would be available only during particular seasons and we would look forward to them when they would arrive in the bazaars.Market forces have pushed growers to use chemicals to hasten the process and meet customer demands. Only aware and discriminating customers can put an end to this as they are the end users and will ultimately pay the price for this folly. The nutritional benefits of fruits will be negated by the chemicals we ingest.

Toxic veggies: Action soon against vendors, vehicles

Thiruvananthapuram:
Traders Demand Facilities For Stringent Inspection At Checkposts
Left with no other option, the food safety department has decided to take action against vehicles transporting vegetables treated with pesticides into the state. Food safety licences will be made mandatory for these vehicles besides forcing the vendors to inform the source and the market.
The decision was taken as the Food Safety and Standard Act (FSSA) does not clearly mention about action against farmers. A meeting convened by food safety commissioner T V Anupama to inform the vegetable vendors about the decision on Tuesday witnessed heated debates between food safety officials and vegetable vendors.
The food safety officials maintained that they could not take action against farmers while the vendors demanded that the department should find other ways like beefing up the inspection at checkposts. Anupama said the department d urged the Union government to had urged the Union government to amend the FSSA so as to include action against farmers for using banned pesticides. “We have limitations. It would take a minimum of seven days to get the results. We cannot hold the vegetables for long as they are perishable goods. The only thing we could do is to find the source and ban transportation of goods for there,“ she told vendors.
Health minister V S Sivakumar said the commercial taxes department had been asked to collect details such as the source of the product, the market to which it is going, the name of the product, quantity and the like at the checkpost.
All vegetable vendors had been asked to obtain food safety licences (for those with annual turnover above Rs 12 lakh) and food safety registrations (for those with turnover below Rs 12 lakh) before June 15.However, the laboratories in the state are still ill-equipped to check the presence of pesticides. Currently, the samples are tested at the labs of the agriculture university . “We are in the process of installing the latest equipment at government analytical labs in Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode,“ Sivakumar said.
The public service commission has begun proceedings to recruit 80 food safety officers to resolve the manpower shortage in the department, which has been crippling it.Around 16,000 candidates have applied for the posts.
Chief minister Oommen Chandy has convened a meeting on Wednesday on the matter.

Energy drinks come under food safety dept scanner
Thiruvananthapuram:
The food safety department on Tuesday took samples of beverages sold as `energy drinks'.The drive followed a decision taken at the meeting of state food safety commissioners in Delhi.
“The samples have been taken for analysis. The energy drinks were brought under the scanner as the Food Safety and Standards Act does not clearly mention about such products,“ food safety commissioner T V Anupama said.
The analytical labs have been asked to check various parameters such as artificial sweetener, stimulants, colours and the like in these drinks. The week-long raid will conclude next Tuesday.
Anupama said the energy drinks were popular among youths in Kozhikode and Ernakulam. The department has already collected samples of drinks such as Redbull and Monster. These drinks are sold at exorbitant prices and are popular among fitness freaks.
Sources said the samples of energy drinks would be collected from at least three districts.The department expects to get the results within a week. As there is stiff competition in the sector, there are high chances of manufacturers breaching protocols to value add their products. Recently, Red Bull had challenged an Indian variant in the Delhi high court for allegedly copying their colour scheme and logo.

TN orders tests on more noodle & pasta brands

Chennai:
Following the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India's (FSSAI) directive to all states, the Tamil Nadu food safety commissionerate on Tuesday advised its district officers to lift samples of leading brands of noodles and pastas with tastemakers and take action under the provisions of the Food Safety and Standards Act if they are found to be violating safety standards.
With the FSSAI calling for reports by June 19, the for reports by June 19, the food safety officers will test brands such as Ruchi International (Koka Instant Noodles), C G Foods India (Wai Wai, Bhujiya), GlaxoSmitheKline Consumer Healthcare (Foodles), Nestle India (Maggi Nutri-licious Pazzta and Instant Noodles), AA Nutrition (Yummy), Indo Nissin Food (Top Ramen), and ITC (Instant Noodles). FSSAI has sought reports on general quality parameters, metal contaminants, and naturally occurring toxic substances.
“Food safety officers across the state will embark sample analysis in their respective jurisdictions immediately,“ said a senior government official. The sampling tests will take place at six locations simultaneously ­ King Institute, Guindy , and food analysis laboratories in Coimbatore, Madurai, Thanjavur, Pallayamkottai and Salem. Tamil Nadu is one among the states which have banned Maggi noodles after excessive lead content was found in the samples. The maximum permissible limit for lead in food is 2.5PPM by weight. Apart from Nestle's Maggi, the state also banned manufacture, storage and sale of three other brands -Wai Wai Xpress Noodles, Reliance Select Instant Noodles and Smith and Jones Chicken Masala Noodles. The firms were also told to recall their stocks from the market with immediate effect.
While six of the 65 sam ples lifted last week revealed high level of lead in the tastemaker, the government did not take chances and ordered the popular brands to be taken off the shelves for three months from June 4. “Some samples will also be tested in referral laboratory in Kolkata in the coming days,“ another official said, recalling the communique from FSSAI on Monday to all food safety commissioners, expressing serious health concerns over the test results on Maggi and similar products.
Activists for ban on packaged food
Coimbatore: A group of activists from Coimbatore staged a protest in front of the collectorate on Tuesday demanding a ban on packaged chips. There were also demands to prohibit instant parotta, chappathi and other food items that contain benzoic acid. Food safety officers in the district said they have collected samples of Maggi, Kurkure, Lays, Kellogs Chocos and some other packaged food items a week ago and sent them for testing. “We are awaiting results,“ said designated food safety officer, R Kathiravan. He said after the Maggi episode, he received several calls and petitions from public to test various packaged food items.

More noodle, pasta brands to be tested soon

Action to be taken on food items found not conforming to applicable standards.

The Food Safety and Drug Administration Department will soon begin testing various other noodles, pasta and macaroni brands, a senior official said.
This comes in the wake of a directive from the Food Safety and Standards authority of India (FSSAI), which has asked for testing of several products of seven brands, including four variants of Nestle India’s Maggi Nutri-licious Pazzta. This apart, nine variants of Maggi noodles, including the ‘cuppa’ varieties are to be tested.
“We have already initiated tests on some of the brands that tests have now been ordered on. We will begin testing the rest, including the Pazzta, once this first batch of testing is over,” the official said.
While some test results from the samples in Chennai have already come in and showed excess levels of lead, results from the other samples are expected in the next couple of days, he said, adding that the department was following a strict protocol of the testing procedure to ensure results were above board.
Other brands that are to be tested include three noodles of ITC Limited, Indo Nissin Food’s Top Ramen, 10 varieties of GSK Consumer Healthcare’s Foodles and CG Food India’s Wai Wai noodles.
“Various test results on Maggi and some other similar products have raised serious health concerns. In view of the same, it would be advisable to draw regulatory samples for similar products for which product approvals have been granted by the FSSAI,” the letter from the regulatory body to the commissioners of food safety said.
The letter also asks for the products to be tested for quality parameters such as moisture and total ash excluding salt, metal contaminants including lead, copper, arsenic and mercury as well as naturally occurring toxic substances such as aflatoxin and others. Action should be taken on food items found not conforming to applicable standards, it said.
On June 4, the Tamil Nadu government had banned the manufacture, stocking and sale of Maggi noodles and three other brands — Wai Wai Xpress Noodles, Reliance Select Instant Noodles, and Smith and Jones Chicken Masala Noodles for a period of three months as they were found to contain unacceptable levels of lead. On Friday, Nestle India said it was withdrawing Maggi noodles in the country.
Instant noodles and Maggi have been in the midst of a controversy since the product was found to contain high levels of lead, a toxic metal and monosodium glutamate (MSG) in a test done in Uttar Pradesh.
Since then, tests have been performed in several States across the country showing high levels of lead.
Directive from FSSAI that action should be taken on food items found not conforming to applicable standards

Soupy tears add Extra Seasoning to widespread Maggi Nostalgia!


Maggi risks losing Rs.2000 cr. brand tag



The Maggi lesson

More organised retail would make food safety easier to police
More than 10 states have imposed a ban on the sales of the Maggi brand of instant noodles, owned by Swiss multinational Nestle, after a scare involving reports of higher than permissible levels of lead and monosodium glutamate. A nationwide recall of Maggi packets has been issued – the first of its kind – by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, or FSSAI. Nestle itself beat the regulator to the draw, recalling packets of Maggi a few hours before the government notice on Friday — although the company insisted that Maggi was, in fact, perfectly safe to eat. Meanwhile, the consumer affairs department has said it will seek damages in consumer court from Nestle on behalf of Indian consumers, and has asked the government’s lawyers to come up with “ a watertight case”. It must be stressed that, although some government laboratories found excess levels of lead and MSG, other labs did not. So the exact safety of Maggi remains disputed. But whatever the resolution, somebody will come out of this not looking too good. If Maggi is problematic, then one of the most iconic of brands, distinctively Indian in spite of being owned by a multinational, will have been severely dented. And if Maggi is cleared of the charges, then the food safety administration will justifiably be accused of causing a major scare before all the facts are in.
There is, however, a larger point to be made here — and it is fortunate this discussion is taking place at all. Firstly, the fact is that regulators are going after Maggi not just because there may be something wrong with it, but because they can. They can because it is a nationwide brand owned by a well- known company which is capable of responding to regulatory action. Secondly, to the extent that Maggi can be recalled from shelves, that is thanks to the penetration of organised retail; the large proportion of packets that are with small shopkeepers may not wind up being taken off the market. Finally, the fact that Maggi has considerable brand value that Nestle wants to protect is precisely why the company has also tried to take the lead in recalling the noodle packets, even while tomtomming lab results that say there’s nothing wrong with them. These three reasons are a clear demonstration of the superiority of modern, organised retail when it comes to ensuring consumer safety and proper regulation.
After all, it is the unorganised sector that is much more likely to poison consumers or make them sick. Also reported last week was a study by doctors at a Delhi- based nutrition institute which found that street food in the city was high in faecal matter, and had several orders of magnitude more coliform bacteria than was safe. Even when it comes to heavy metals like lead, a recent report from M S University, Baroda, found cadmium and arsenic at dangerous levels in vegetables in the market; and milk is known to be heavily adulterated in India, including with detergent. Cracking down on all this is impossible while the food chain remains unorganised. Ensuring the spread of organised retail, which will require supportive regulations and investment rules, is thus a matter of public health.

Alcohol found in energy drink sold across Gujarat state

The Gujarat Food and Drugs Control Administration (FDCA) conducted a statewide search and seizure operation today, after a Gandhidham-based beverage manufacturer was found to be selling an "energy drink" with a considerable amount of alcohol in it, an FDCA official said. 
"The manufacturer of the beverage called 'U-Star' claimed it is an energy drink and sold it Rs 100 per bottle. Recently, we came to know that it contained a considerable amount of alcohol, which is not permissible," Gujarat FDCA CommissionerH G Koshia said. 
"The drink was sold mainly at paan shops. Our teams raided several parts of Saurashtra and Northern Gujarat region, such as Morbi as well as Mehsana, to seize several bottles of the drink. 
"One can easily smell alcohol in the drink. To verify the contents of the drink, we have sent its samples for laboratory tests," Koshia said. 
Since a primary investigation established that the drink contained alcohol, FDCA officials also raided the manufacturing facility of 'U-Star' at Gandhidham in Kutch. 
"It is a small company with a plant in Gandhidham. When we raided the premises, we learnt that the owner had already shut the plant a few days ago and gone underground. We will approach the Home Department and the police to book the culprits under relevant sections of the law," Koshia said. 
He said that when FDCA officials checked the labels on U-Star bottles, they found a registration number provided by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which meant that the manufacturer got a clearance certificate from the central authority. 
"However, we are doubtful about the claim made by the manufacturer have received FSSAI clearance. Though the labels carry the FSSAI number on it, we will cross check it with the central authority, since we doubt that it could be fake," Koshia said.

‘Random food checks were better than NOC system’

MUMBAI: The controversy over the amount of lead in Maggi has prompted experts and people in the food industry to suggest that the government bring back the old system of random checks by food inspectors. They said it will ensure better quality of food. 
Following the Maggi row, former directors of Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) had written to Centre, seeking a probe into the new 'Product Approval' system that, according to them, was allowed over two years ago by the apex regulator. They have expressed fears of corruption in the lower cadre during the process of issuing licences. 
The FSSAI had issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) and licence to Nestle for Maggi. Pradip Chakraborty, former director, product approval, FSSAI, said, "Officials who issued the NOC and licence must be held responsible. If a product has an NOC but is being handled in unhygienic conditions during sale, then safety is compromised." Chakraborty is one of the three who have demanded the probe. 
"I think the emphasis should be on regular testing of samples and strong surveillance. If ingredients are safe and products are tested regularly, then there is no reason to obtain an NOC or any product approval. It has been proved in the Maggi case that despite getting an NOC and licence, the product failed during testing," he said, adding that only novel food/ ingredients whose safety is unknown require product approval," he added. 
People in the food industry, requesting anonymity, said that most of street food vendors use monosodium glutamate in noodles. "Even housewives use it. A scientific review of Monosodium glutamate is required as so many ingredients like stevia and caffeine, which were not permitted earlier are now allowed by the United States, Europe and India within prescribed limits," a source said. "Lead too is allowed within permissible limits (up to 0.2 parts per million i.e mg per kg by weight) in food items including infant milk substitutes. Permissible limit of lead in turmeric and tea is as high as 10 parts per million by weight." 
""Under the old system, punishment was specified for contamination," said an expert. 
"Misleading information (advertising) to was punishable with imprisonment for a term that could extend to three months and fine extending to Rs 2 lakh," he added.

Food Safety body is in coma, claims MLC Srinivas Poojary

Udupi: MLC Kota Srinivas Poojary complained that the State Health Department and Food Safety and Standards Authority are in coma.
Briefing reporters, he said the departments and the laboratories working under Food Safety and Standards Authority have indulged in illegal activities. He alleged that Health Minister U T Khader issues statements totally far from truth. He said the government has failed to recruit sufficient and required numbers of officials to Food Safety and Standards Authority.
The food safety squad is not formed. He said the post for as many as 36 nominated officials at district level is vacant. There should be 226 food safety officials at each taluk level. Of which 174 posts are vacant. It is mandatory that each official, should get at least ten samples of food stuff examined every month. There are three headquarters in Gulburga, Belgaum and Mysore, which works without the required number of staffs.
The machinery at BBMP office related to the Authority is dysfunctional. The food safety office at K R Circle operating under Health department is also motionless. He said there are 25 chemists who work at Food Safety and Standards Authority laboratories fetching salaries around Rs 75,000 to Rs 90,000 per month. All these chemists are paid without working and urged the health minister to clarify irregularities in Food Safety and Standards Authority.

MSG found in Maggi, Nestle may have to explain

 

BENGALURU: The Karnataka government is expected to issue notices to Nestle, the makers of Maggi noodles, following traces of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in sample tests of the product by a private lab in Bengaluru. 
"The MSG level, according to the report, is 0.053 parts per million. Since the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) doesn't have clarity regarding the permissible levels, the state government has written to the regulator. Based on its reply, we will plan our next step,'' health and family welfare minister U T Khader told TOI on Tuesday. The samples were tested at TUV SUD in Peenya. Khader is scheduled to convene a meeting on Thursday to discuss the issue. 
"In all probability, the company will be issued notices to prove the MSG presence is not an add-on,'' sources said. 
The government is not able to take a stand as the Centre, while prescribing what should be the permissible presence of lead in food products, is silent on MSG. Maggi noodles, in a statement issued last week claimed that they do not add the flavour enhancer MSG (E621) to the noodles sold in India. 
"However, the product contains glutamate derived from hydrolyzed groundnut protein, onion powder and wheat flour. Glutamate produces a positive test result in a test for MSG," the statement said. 
As for lead content, the preliminary tests conducted on samples found them to be below the permissible limit. But the Karnataka government had advised the stakeholders to refrain from marketing, distributing and selling the noodles and also asked public not to consume it. 
Khader said the government has directed Nestle to withdraw its Maggi stocks from stores. The multinational company has four production units in Nanjangud in Mysuru.

Second test: glutamic acid detected in Maggi samples

Although Maggi samples in the State that were tested in a second private NABL-accredited laboratory have cleared the lead and arsenic tests, the presence of glutamic acid in the samples have left officials confused.
Unable to come to a conclusion, the officials have now sent the report to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for clarification and further guidance. According to the directions from the FSSAI, officials had asked the laboratory to detect the levels of lead, arsenic and monosodium glutamate (MSG) in the samples. However, the report has revealed the presence of glutamic acid, which is an amino acid found in abundance in both plant and animal protein.
FSSAI deputy director H.S. Shivakumar said glutamic acid is one of the components of MSG. “However, we do not have any clear guidelines in the Food Safety and Standards Act on what to infer from the presence of glutamic acid in the samples. So we have now sent the report to the FSSAI for clarification and further guidance,” he said.
The second test done at TUV SUD India Pvt. Ltd., one of the six NABL-accredited laboratories in the city, was submitted to the Health Department on Tuesday.

Sellers hail safe vegetables move

Vegetable sellers have said that they welcomed the State government move to make vegetables being sold in Kerala safe to eat. However, they want the government to tackle the issue of poisonous vegetables at their origin.
The State government must get in touch with government agencies and farmers in neighbouring States like Tamil Nadu to tackle the issue of heavy doses of pesticides in vegetables coming from these States, said K.K. Ashraf, Secretary, Ernakulam Market Stall Owners’ Association. He said that even setting up testing facilities at entry points into the State where results would be available within a reasonable time would help. Vegetable dealers in Ernakulam market, numbering 59 has already registered online with the Food Safety Authority, he added.
District Secretary of Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithy P. A. M. Ibrahim said that the governmental approach could be more practical in tackling the issue. He said that having all vegetable transporting vehicles registered with the Food Safety Authority would not be practical, he said. He added that even checks at the entry points may prove futile unless there were facilities to get test results in a short time.

Kerala finds pesticides in TN veggies

Coimbatore
Says Levels Excessive Than Permitted, Imposes Curbs On Procurement
The Kerala government has put curbs on traders procuring vegetables from Tamil Nadu after it found that pesticide levels in the vegetables were higher than the permissible limits.
Kerala's food safety department has written to Tamil Nadu's agriculture and food safety department saying “pesticides were being used excessively in vegetables produced in Tamil Nadu and sent to Kerala“.
The vegetables were collected by Kerala government officials during a visit to Tamil Nadu two months ago.“We did receive the letter, but it did not specify the names of vegetables that were found having high pesticide content or the names of pesticides found above permissible limits,“ said TN food safety commissioner Kumar Jayanth.
The absence of specifics has prompted the agriculture department authorities to collect samples of vegetables from 15 districts for testing at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University .
“It would take around 15 days to get the lab results because we are going to test vegetables for all the pesticides and chemicals available in the market,“ said an agriculture officer in Coimbatore.
Meanwhile, officials of the Tamil Nadu agriculture department have swung into an overdrive to prevent excessive use of chemical pesticides by farmers. The officials are busy organising workshops for farmers in block and district levels. “We are addressing farmers in groups of 25 and 30 and requesting them to use only the amount of pesticides prescribed,“ said a horticulture department officer.
Horticulture officers admitted that farmers often use pesticides five to 10 times more than the permissible level. “There are around 228 registered pesticides of which around 110 are used by farmers regularly,“ said a horticulture officer, adding, “There are clear guidelines on every pesticide pack on how much can be used. But farmers tend to use more for immediate results.“
“They also use residual pesticides like methyl perathione, furadan and monocrotophus which remain in the crop for 45 days after spraying. These are banned for use on vegetables and fruits,“ said a fertilizer quality-control officer.
However, farmers defend use of pesticides saying pests can kill their crops completely. “When farmers use pesticides only in prescribed levels, they fail to kill the pests immediately , giving them time to eat parts of the crop and multiply ,“ Coimbatore secretary of Tamil Nadu Farmers' Association A K Andasamy said.
The issue started two months ago when a few officials from Kerala visited a few polyhouses and markets in Tamil Nadu and collected samples of vegetables and tested them in their own labs.“The Kerala government has been promoting organic farming for paddy and vegetables since 2010 by offering farmers incentives like organic certification and setting up organic markets,“ said K Radhakrishnan, a banana plantation owner in Kottayam.

Licence to be mandatory for vegetable vendors

Efforts to check inflow of vegetables with high level of pesticide residues
The government has decided to crack down on the issue of high levels of pesticide residues in vegetables being brought from neighbouring States by strictly regulating the entry of vegetable consignments from across the border.
As a first step, the government has decided to ensure that all vegetable traders in the State and vehicles in which vegetables are transported into the State have the mandatory licence or registration for food business operators (FBOs), as specified in the Food Safety and Standards Act of India. The licence/registration would be cancelled if the vehicles are found to be carrying vegetables with high pesticide content during any of the random sampling process.
Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar, who convened a meeting of wholesale vegetable traders here on Tuesday, along with Food Safety Commissioner T.V. Anupama, appealed to the traders to cooperate with the regulatory measures being adopted by the government so that pesticide-free vegetables can be supplied in the State.
The traders expressed their helplessness about the pesticide content in vegetables and that they could not be held liable for selling vegetables as per the market requirement. They also pointed out that they were not directly sourcing vegetables from farmers in neighbouring States but that it was the middlemen or agents who sourced the produce for them as per requirement.
“But we think it is important that the traders become aware of the seriousness of the issue and that when they procure vegetables, they should convey it clearly to the other side that pesticide-ridden vegetables will not be accepted any more. This is just a first step and we believe that if this message goes across clearly to the farmers that there will be no more demand for pesticide-ridden vegetables, the use of these chemicals by farmers will eventually come down,” Mr. Sivakumar said.
The process of issuing licence/registration for vegetable traders and the vehicles is expected to be completed by July 15. Mr. Sivakumar said that vegetables samples collected from many shops with the ‘organic vegetables’ tag were also found to be pesticide-ridden. Food safety officials will be doing intensive checking and sampling in these shops on a regular basis to check pesticide levels in the vegetables. Meanwhile, the government will soon appoint 80 more food safety officers. As part of strengthening the drive against pesticide residues in vegetables and fruits, testing facilities are being augmented. Pesticide testing facilities will be added on at the government labs in Thiruvananthapuram and Ernakulam and the machines have already been installed, Mr. Sivakumar said.
The Chief Minister will be holding a high-level meeting on Wednesday, with other Ministers and Food Safety officials to discuss the issue of ensuring safe-to-consume vegetables in the State through regulatory measures.

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நெல்லை உள்பட 9 மாவட்டங்களில் காய்கறி மாதிரி சேகரிப்பு கேரளா செல்லும் காய்கறிகளில் நச்சுத்தன்மை கண்டுபிடிப்பு

நெல்லை, ஜூன் 10:
தமி ழ கத் தில் இருந்து கேரள மாநி லத் திற்கு அனுப் பப் ப டும் காய் க றி களில் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட பூச்சி மருந் து களின் நஞ்சு இருப் ப தாக சமீ பத் தில் புகார் எழுந் தது. இதை உண் ணும் கேரள மக் களுக்கு ஒவ் வாமை ஏற் பட்டு வரு வ தா க வும் கூறப் ப டு கி றது.
இப் பி ரச்னை தொடர் பாக தமி ழ கத் தில் இருந்து கேர ளா விற்கு காய் கறி அனுப் பும் மாவட்டங் களில் காய் க றி களின் தரம் மற் றும் பூச்சி கொல்லி மருந் து களின் விப ரங் களை பரி சோ திக்க வேளாண்மை இயக் கு னர் உத் த ரவு பிறப் பித் துள் ளார். நெல்லை, குமரி, தேனி, திண் டுக் கல், மதுரை, திருச்சி, கிருஷ் ண கிரி, தர் ம புரி, கோவை ஆகிய 9 மாவட்டங் களில் இருந்து கேர ளா விற்கு காய் க றி கள் அனுப் பப் பட்டு வரு கின் றன.
இந்த 9 மாவட்டங் களி லும் பூச்சி மருந்து கடை களில் அர சால் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட பூச்சி மருந் து கள் விற் கப் ப டு கின் ற னவா என் பதை பரி சோ திக்க அரசு உத் த ர விட்டுள் ளது. அதன் படி 9 மாவட்டங் களில் பல் வேறு பூச்சி மருந்து கடை களில் சோதனை நடந்து வரு கி றது.
நெல்லை மாவட்டத் தில் வேளாண் இணை இயக் கு னர் சந் தி ர சே க ரன் தலை மை யில் மொத் தம் 156 கடை களில் வேளாண் அலு வ லர் கள் ஆய்வு மேற் கொண் ட னர்.
அதில், 212 லிட்டர் தடை செய் யப் பட்ட பூச்சி மருந் து கள் கண் ட றி யப் பட்டுள் ளன. இவற்றை விற் பனை செய் வ தற்கு தடை உத் த ரவு வழங் கப் பட்டது.
மோனா குரோட்டம் பாஸ், சைபர் மெத் ரின் உள் ளிட்ட பூச்சி மருந் து களை காய் க றி களுக்கு பயன் ப டுத்த கூடாது என எழுதி விற் பனை செய் யும் படி அறி வு றுத் தி னர். மேலும் இந்த விவ கா ரம் தொடர் பாக 9 மாவட்டங் களி லும் உள்ள முக் கிய சந் தை களில் காய் க றி களை மாதிரி எடுத்து அனுப் பும் பணியில் வேளாண் துறை அதிகாரிகள் தீவிரமாக ஈடுபட்டுள்ளனர்.

கோவை மாவட்டத் தில் கடந்த ஒரு வரு டத் தில் 1,426 உணவு நிறு வ னங் களுக்கு உரி மம்

 

கோவை, ஜூன்10:
கோவை மாவட்டத் தில் கடந்த ஒரு வரு டத் தில் 1,426 உணவு நிறு வ னங் களுக்கு உரி மம் வழங் கப் பட்டுள் ளது.
மக் களுக்கு பாது காப் பான மற் றும் தர மான உணவு பொருட் கள் கிடைக் கும் வகை யில் மத் திய, மாநில அர சின் மூலம் பல் வேறு நட வ டிக்கை எடுக் கப் பட்டு வரு கி றது. அதன் படி, உணவு பொருட் கள் தொழில் செய் ப வர் கள் விற் பனை செய்ய அதி கா ரி களி டம் உரி மம் பெற வேண் டும்.
உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் தர நிர் ணய 2006 சட்டத் தின் படி, ஆண்டு மொத்த விற் பனை ரூ12 லட் சத் திற்கு அதி க மாக இருக் கும் உணவு தொழில் பு ரி வோர், நிய மன அலு வ ல ரி டம் உரி மம் பெற வேண் டும். இதே போல், ஆண்டு மொத்த விற் பனை ரூ12 லட் சத் திற்கு குறை வாக இருக் கும் உணவு தொழில் புரி வோர் உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி யி டம் பதிவு சான் றி தழ் பெற வேண் டும். இது த விர அனைத்து வித மான உணவு பொருள் தயா ரிப்பு, சேமிப்பு, விற் பனை போன்ற  உணவுதொழி லில் ஈடு ப டு வோர் பாதுக் காப் பான மற் றும் தர மான உணவு பொருட் களை மக் களுக்கு வழங் கு வதை உறுதி செய்ய வேண் டும். இணை ய த ளம் மூல மா க வும் உரி மம் அல் லது பதிவு சான் றி தழை பெற் றுக் கொள்ள கடந்த 2013 ஜூன் மாதம் முதல் ஏற் ப டுத் தப் பட்டுள் ளது.
உணவு பாது காப்பு மற் றும் தர நிர் ணய 2006 சட்டத் தின் படி, ஆண்டு மொத்த விற் பனை ரூ12 லட் சத் திற்கு அதி க மாக இருக் கும் உணவு தொழில் பு ரி வோர், நிய மன அலு வ ல ரி டம் உரி மம் பெற வேண் டும். இதே போல், ஆண்டு மொத்த விற் பனை ரூ12 லட் சத் திற்கு குறை வாக இருக் கும் உணவு தொழில் புரி வோர் உணவு பாது காப்பு அதி கா ரி யி டம் பதிவு சான் றி தழ் பெற வேண் டும். இது த விர அனைத்து வித மான உணவு பொருள் தயா ரிப்பு, சேமிப்பு, விற் பனை போன்ற உணவு தொழி லில் ஈடு ப டு வோர் பாதுக் காப் பான மற் றும் தர மான உணவு பொருட் களை மக் களுக்கு வழங் கு வதை உறுதி செய்ய வேண் டும். இணை ய த ளம் மூல மா க வும் உரி மம் அல் லது பதிவு சான் றி தழை பெற் றுக் கொள்ள கடந்த 2013 ஜூன் மாதம் முதல் ஏற் ப டுத் தப் பட்டுள் ளது.
அதன் படி, கோவை மாவட்டத் தில் கடந்த 2014 மார்ச் மாதம் முதல் 2015 மார்ச் வரை ஆயி ரத்து 426 நிறு வ னங் கள் உரி மம் பெற் றுள் ளன. 273 நிறு வ னங் கள் உரி மத்தை புதுப் பித் துள் ளன. பதிவு சான் றி தழை 2,638 நிறு வ னம் பெற் றுள் ளது. ஆன் லைன் முறை யில் 2 ஆயி ரத்து 698 நிறு வ னங் கள் உரி மம் மற் றும் பதிவு சான் றி தழை பெற் றுள் ளது. மேலும், தொடர்ந்து பல உணவு நிறு வ னங் கள் ஆன் லைன் மூல மா க வும், ஆப் லைன் மூல மா க வும் உரி மம் மற் றும் பதிவு சான் றி தழை பெற்று வரு கின் றன என மாவட்ட உணவு பாது காப் பு துறை நிய மன அதி காரி கதி ர வன் தெரி வித் தார்.