Aug 9, 2016

The term 'fast food 'is not defined under Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations made thereunder

As per information provided by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the term 'fast food 'is not defined under Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations made thereunder.
The implementation and enforcement of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 primarily rests with State/UT Governments. Random Samples of food items are being drawn by the State Food Safety Officers and sent to the laboratories recognised by FSSAI for analysis. In cases where the samples are found to be not conforming to the provisions of the FSS Act, 2006 and the Rules and Regulations made thereunder, recourse is taken to the provisions for penal action against the offenders under Chapter IX of the FSS Act
FSSAI is operating food import clearance facilities at six locations viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin and Tuticorin. The imported food consignments referred to FSSAI for clearance by the Custom Authorities are subjected to inspection and sampling by Authorised Officers of FSSAI. The samples so collected are subjected to testing at notified food laboratories as per the parameters laid down in the various FSS Regulations, 2011 for safety aspects. Based on the laboratory reports, NOC (No Objection Certificate) or NCC (Non Conformance Certificate) is issued for the consignments.
The materials imported for the preparation of products sold under Fast Food Business include:
a) Food ingredients: Paste, puree, sauces, spices, seasoning mixes, pasta, noodles, vegetable extract powders, batter mix, edible oils and fats, frozen vegetables, etc.
b) Food Additives: Emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickening agents, flavours, humectants, leavening agents, colours, preservatives, antifoaming agents, sequestering agents and buffering agents, etc.

Food Safety Issues Rise in Colombo

Aug 8 2016 (The Sunday Times - Sri Lanka) - This newspaper’s News Desk has been following up on Public Health issues for some time, and their ongoing reports should raise concerns among Colombo residents, both the affluent, and the not-so, because of the declining standards in the monitoring of food establishments, from the humble ‘buth kades’ to the restaurants of five-star hotels.
There is a lot of debate about the delay in holding Local Government elections and whether the representatives of the country’s Municipalities, Urban Councils and Praadeshiya Sabhas should be elected under the proportional representation system, the old ward system or a combination of the two. There is, however, little debate on how many of these local councils actually work, and do their work.
The News Desk has been concentrating much of its efforts on how the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), the country’s showpiece local council, operates, and especially in an area that directly affects its rate-payers and residents – ensuring food safety.
Only last week, it was discovered that a CMC Public Health Department worker had been admitted to the National Hospital with not only dengue but also with typhoid fever.
In Colombo, the underground water is polluted. Even five-star hotels use underground water to prepare food although under the Municipal Ordinance by-laws, water supply should be from the city mains. Many hotels use underground water to save on their water bill.
The sewer lines in Colombo are overloaded and prone to leaks that pollute the underground water supply. According to those in the know, residents in areas from Colombo Fort to Wellawatte, including those working in and patronising star class hotels in these areas are at risk of water-borne diseases.
Sicknesses such as hepatitis, typhoid, para typhoid, diarrhea and viral stomach ailments knock-on the belly of those affected for days, some getting treatment from General Medical Practitioners (GPs) and others even needing hospitalisation. Only Government hospitals provide statistics to the Epidemiology Unit so the real figures of those affected are not known.
At the bottom of this malaise seems to be major happenings at the Municipality’s Public Health Department with in-fighting, court cases and a privatisation programme in lab reports. These give a foul stench.
There is a need for constant checks on workers in all eating houses, including the bigger hotels, restaurants and even clubs, big and small. Only investigations can find the source of a disease so that preventive action can be taken. Medical examinations of eating houses is compulsory under Municipal by-laws such as the Food Hygiene Regulations, and what use are elections of councillors if they, once elected, do not supervise the implementation of these by-laws when they are practised in the breach.
The Tourism Authority also has regulations governing food safety. Its capacity to check on food relied almost entirely on the investigations carried out by the Municipalities and other local bodies around the country. It has been given this responsibility to protect tourists (tourism being one of the country’s major foreign exchange earners) but what’s the status when these local councils fall on their own responsibilities? Today, private laboratories, with questionable ability are tasked with providing these reports, something the CMC did on its own for more than 40 years, but now side-lined due to petty in-fighting and jealousies.
Most Sri Lankans have an in-built immune mechanism to cope with most germs they have grown up with. What of the unsuspecting tourist for whom an upset stomach can ruin his entire holiday?
The CMC, like many other councils, is no doubt, hard-pressed for human resources, with its Public Health Inspectors battling the dengue menace on the one hand. However, when the CMC’s Microbiological Laboratory, the regulatory arm gazetted by the Ministry of Health, has the professionalism and wherewithal to do the job, it is mind-boggling why its services are not used. As of today, the CMC hardly tests for Salmonella, Staphylococcus Aureus etc., any more – all food poisons and these are now handled by private labs which have mushroomed only in recent times. The fall-out on the entire food safety monitoring is to be expected.
When the whole country is talking about kidney disease, Creatinine tests for kidney patients, Hemoglobin tests for pregnant mothers, HbA1C for diabetes sufferers – and HIV tests have come to a standstill for the past 4-5 months and Pathological services for the poor heart patients are wanting. These constitute a serious situation. It is well and good to keep asking when the next Local Government elections are. These are mere political exercises. City Fathers (and now Mothers) are a dime a dozen. With the rapid construction boom and hundreds upon hundreds of high rise buildings and apartment blocks coming up, the strain on the water requirements and the corresponding drainage and sewerage capacities has to increase multi-fold.
With problems already existing, is the city ready for this explosion? The system needs fixing at the officials’ level – not the political level so much, before the public health systems completely break down in the capital city and the malaise spreads to the rest of the country, where it is not much different.

Study on to ascertain whether plastic food packaging harmful

Government is conducting a study to ascertain whether the use of plastics for food packaging has any harmful impact on human health, Health Minister J P Nadda said today. He, however, said there is no harm if plastics are used as per the standards laid down by the regulator Food Safety and Standards 
Government is conducting a study to ascertain whether the use of plastics for food packaging has any harmful impact on human health, Health Minister J P Nadda said today.
He, however, said there is no harm if plastics are used as per the standards laid down by the regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI).
“There are various theories about it (plastics). We have not reached any conclusion. The study is still going on. If plastics are used within a level, then there is no danger,” Nadda said during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha.
Normally, there are types of packaging — paper, tin, plastics and glass. Globally, 42 per cent of packaging is done in plastics as they are temper-proof and there are less chances of adulteration, he said.
FSSAI has laid down 10 standards for use of plastics in packaging of food products. If quality of plastics is as per the FSSAI standards, then there is no problem, Nadda said.
To a suggestion on banning plastics for packaging medicines, the Minister said “there is no such plan.” If the quality of plastics is below the stanards, then there is no problem, he said, adding that a committee has submitted a report on this issue. “We are considering it,” he said.
On another query on banning use of plastics to serve hot tea, the Minister said “This comes under the Environment Ministry. They give specifications and each state have to notify accordingly.”

Telangana Govt. To Act Tough Against Milk Adulterators

Hyderabad: Following the directives given by Supreme Court, Telangana government is going to treat milk adulteration as a non-bailable offense giving life term as the maximum punishment to the offenders.
IPM officials said that the state government can implement Criminal Procedure (CrPC) with maximum punishment of three months, while under section 59, Centre’s Food Safety and Standards Authority Act prescribes jail term of seven years and maximum of life term along with a fine of Rs 10 lakh in cases where the person has died due to adulteration. Meanwhile, where it doesn’t lead to injury, punishment given is six months jail term along with Rs 1 lakh fine
Following directions from the apex court, the Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) have been asked to send proposals for stringent punishment to milk adulterators .
IPM officials said that the state government can implement Criminal Procedure (CrPC) with maximum punishment of three months, while under section 59, Centre’s Food Safety and Standards Authority Act prescribes jail term of seven years and maximum of life term along with a fine of Rs 10 lakh in cases where the person has died due to adulteration. Meanwhile, where it doesn’t lead to injury, punishment given is six months jail term along with Rs 1 lakh fine.
It may be recalled that few months ago police busted milk adulteration racket in Ghatkesar and Special Operations Team, Malkajgiri arrested a milk vendor in Neredmet on charges of adulteration of milk.

Mechanism to test fast food

As per information provided by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the term fast food is not defined under Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006 and Rules and Regulations made thereunder. 
The implementation and enforcement of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 primarily rests with State/UT Governments. Random Samples of food items are being drawn by the State Food Safety Officers and sent to the laboratories recognised by FSSAI for analysis. In cases where the samples are found to be not conforming to the provisions of the FSS Act, 2006 and the Rules and Regulations made thereunder, recourse is taken to the provisions for penal action against the offenders under Chapter IX of the FSS Act 
FSSAI is operating food import clearance facilities at six locations viz. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Cochin and Tuticorin. The imported food consignments referred to FSSAI for clearance by the Custom Authorities are subjected to inspection and sampling by Authorised Officers of FSSAI. The samples so collected are subjected to testing at notified food laboratories as per the parameters laid down in the various FSS Regulations, 2011 for safety aspects. Based on the laboratory reports, NOC (No Objection Certificate) or NCC (Non Conformance Certificate) is issued for the consignments. 
The materials imported for the preparation of products sold under Fast Food Business include: 
a) Food ingredients: Paste, puree, sauces, spices, seasoning mixes, pasta, noodles, vegetable extract powders, batter mix, edible oils and fats, frozen vegetables, etc. 
b) Food Additives: Emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickening agents, flavours, humectants, leavening agents, colours, preservatives, antifoaming agents, sequestering agents and buffering agents, etc. 
This information was given by the Minister of State for Food Processing Industries Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.

The draft revised standards for chocolates have been notified in the Gazette of India on 26th July, 2016 inviting comments/suggestions from the stakeholders, which allows use of vegetable fat upto 5% in chocolates and isomaltulose at 50% (Max) of the total sugars.


#FSSAI extends timeline for compliance of Notification No. 1(94)2015/Notification P&L/Enf/FSSAI dated 25th May, 2016 wrt declaration of class title, trans fat content and saturated fat content on label of the food products for a period of six months upto 02-12-2016.