Jun 9, 2017
Traces of detergent found in milk sample
108 samples tested as part of an awareness campaign on food adulteration
Traces of detergent were found in one of the 108 milk samples tested by Food Safety and Drug Administration department as part of an awareness campaign on food adulteration organised here on Thursday.
Speaking to the media, Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao, who inaugurated the campaign earlier in the day, said that the sample was collected by a Field Officer of FSDA from a consumer, although he did not elaborate on where the consumer had bought the milk.
Sources in FSDA department, however, said that the consumer, who resided in Kochadai, had bought the milk from a neighbourhood vendor, who supplied raw milk (not pasteurized).
Stating that the testing equipment used by FSDA indicated that further tests were required to confirm presence of soda, bicarbonate or detergent, Mr. Rao said that a ‘legal sample’ would be collected from the place where the consumer had bought the milk.
“By ‘legal sample,’ we mean that the sample will be collected as per specifications and without contamination. The sample will be sent to a laboratory with necessary infrastructure,” he said. If adulteration was confirmed, he added, criminal proceedings would be initiated against those involved.
Officials from FSDA indivitedthat the sample that was tested being a contaminated one was also a possibility. “For instance, if the consumer had kept the milk in a vessel that was not rinsed properly, the detergent present in the vessel may show up in the milk sample,” an official said.
As part of the campaign, which was organised near K. Pudur bus stand, samples brought by the public and those collected by field officers of FSDA were tested. Mr. Rao said that 11 samples were found to be sub-standard since the fat content in them was less than 3.5 %.
The testing, for which a sample of 300 ml was needed, was a two-step process, FSDA officials said. The samples were first tested for fat, solids-not-fat (SNF) and water, followed by another test for adulteration. The tests were conducted using a kit, named electronic milk adulteration testing (EMAT) unit.
Karnataka Food safety commissioner pushes for fortified food
BENGALURU: With food fortification likely to become mandatory in the near future, Food Safety Commissioner Subodh Yadav met representatives of bulk manufacturers of wheat flour, edible oil, milk and biscuits on Saturday. This was to encourage them to make fortified food.
Around 4.5 lakh children of the 59.5 lakh beneficiaries of the mid-day meal scheme in the state consume fortified rice in seven districts. This rice is packed with multiple micro-nutrients like iron, folic acid and vitamins.
The state government was honoured at a recent national summit of the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) where early adopters of food fortification were recognised.
According to the Food Fortification Resource Centre, an online portal run by FSSAI, the cost of food fortification is miniscule. It costs as much as Rs 30 to Rs 100 per metric tonne which works out to just about 3 to 10 paisa per kg of food, depending on the type and number of micronutrients added and the staple food that is being fortified.
“Fortified milk with vitamin A and D costs 2 or 3 paisa more per litre. Similarly, rice with folic acid costs 50-80 paisa more per kg and edible oil costs 8 to 10 paise more per litre. Except the initial investment on blenders and feeders, it is not expensive,” Srinivas Gowda, in-charge joint commissioner of the state FSSAI, said.
He said, “A few PDS outlets used to distribute fortified rice they had procured from Tamil Nadu. This was stopped as it led to misconceptions that it changes the colour of rice. In fact, it helps reduce malnutrition and anaemia. The Food Processing Ministry is giving loans at subsidised rates to help those who want to adopt this technology.”
Yadav said, “Unless food fortification is mandated, it cannot be enforced. Food manufacturers raised some concerns. They said if the raw material comes from other countries, it cannot be fortified at the primary processing level. For example, palmolien oil comes from Malaysia and Southeast Asian countries.”
FSSAI makes food safety experts must in eateries
The trained and certified food safety supervisor will ensure providing safe and nutritious food to consumers.
Kolkata: The Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has made it mandatory for hotels and restaurants to have at least one person trained in food safety in order to check adulteration in food.
“A two-month training module has been conceived to impart the knowledge essential for maintaining hygiene standards in hotels and restaurants in compliance with the Food Safety and Standards Act, Rules and Regulations,” said Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer of FSSAI, at an interactive session on food safety at Bharat Chamber of Commerce on Thursday.
The trained and certified food safety supervisor will ensure providing safe and nutritious food to consumers. The person who will be trained will pass on his lessons to the other staff.
Mr Agarwal said that the FSSAI had launched a food safety training and certification programme (FoSTaC), with 19 short courses, from basic to advanced and specialised courses for street food vendors, restaurants chefs, caterers, food business operators as well as the general public.
Mr Agarwal said that they had prepared guidelines on what is required at home, work place, and schools to ensure safe and nutritious food.
“The FSSAI will soon come out with new regulations related to labelling of packaged food products,” he added.
Stressing the need to strengthen the food testing infrastructure in the country, Mr Agarwal said: “Canada, with less than three per cent of India’s population, has 6,000 food inspectors but the figure is much low here.”
Lack of food safety officers in West Bengald, only 42 out of 180 slots filled: FSSAI
At an interactive session organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI said there is a shortage of food analysts and safety officers in several states including West Bengal.
West Bengal is among several states in the country plagued by a shortage of food safety officers, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said here on Thursday. At an interactive session organised by the Bharat Chamber of Commerce, Pawan Kumar Agarwal, chief executive officer, FSSAI said there is a shortage of food analysts and safety officers in several states including West Bengal.
“The state government has to create more posts. The problem is not only with West Bengal, but with several states. The number is far from adequate.
Besides, there is no proper manual for officers to follow. We are talking with the state government about this,” the chief executive officer said. “We have identified two laboratories in the state, which will be upgraded with equipment and expertise,” the chief executive officer added. Food safety officers present at the occasion said that the requirement was to have 180 safety officers in Bengal, but at present, there are only 42 officers.
“Of them, 23 are working under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), while the other 19 were to take care of the 23 districts. Some officers have to be in charge of more than one district,” said a food safety department official. Sources said there were three private (NABL-accredited) and two public food laboratories in the state. There are two food analysts under whom the food safety officers work.
During the session, Agarwal said that food safety in India is primarily the responsibility of those in the business. “It is primarily the responsibility of those engaged in food business. We have to trust them, but we also need to verify certain factors.
“As we move to a stricter regime, one of the conditions that needs to be fulfilled is that in every establishment under the food business, there has to be at least one person trained in food safety who will supervise other food handlers,” Agarwal said.
How did plastic rice make its way into Karnataka? Food safety just an illusion?
Plastic rice has been found in malls, private shops and even in fair price shops at various places in Karnataka is a matter of serious concern as an unseen mafia is making people consume 'poison' in the form of food.
Praveen from Bengaluru, Ullal Road brought six kg rice from the Reliance Mart. The family members suffered from stomach ache after eating the rice. As there were rumours about plastic rice, the family members made balls from the cooked rice and threw it on the wall and ground. To their shock, the balls started bouncing back, making it clear that they had eaten plastic rice.
Praveen returned to Reliance Mart with the rice, but not finding the staff there has expressed his anger with the media.
Similar kind of development was noticed at Ramanagar Taluk. Some people who had taken rice under the Annabhagya Scheme from a fair price shop in Ramanagar also had complained of stomach ache. When they too made balls of the cooked rice, it was found that the balls were bouncing back and had plastic content in it.
This is a matter of concern as the plastic rice has reached the fair price shops too. Most of the families in India depend on the low-priced rice from the fair price shops. As one cannot make out the difference between plastic rice and the original rice, the incidents are being reported after cooking and consuming the rice.
Such complaints were also heard from Hassan's Arasikere town, where the rice in the fair price shop was found to be plastic rice. People even staged a protest against the fair price shop at BG Hatti in Arasikere. Similar incidents were also reported from Koppal. Mobile phone clippings of videos people making balls off cooked rice and bouncing it were seen from Chikkamagalur and Kolar districts. These videos are going viral on social media.
Not differentiating between the shops, plastic rice is being sold at malls, small shops as well as in fair price shops. This is really a scary situation where people are forced to eat something which they cannot digest and might prove as hazardous for health.
Residents of these places have notified the authorities concerned about plastic rice being sold in the market even in the fair price shops run by the government. But the Food and Civil Supplies Department officers have told that after investigation, action can be taken against the fair price shops selling plastic rice, but other private shops do not come under the purview of the officers. The Health Department will have to conduct raids on these private shops to file a case against them, said Food and Public Distribution Minister UT Khader.
Thus with many food-related scares making the rounds, people are scared to buy anything from the market. There is news of plastic egg, plastic sugar and now plastic rice. Rice being the staple food of the South Indian people, the news of plastic rice in the market is scary.
But how did the plastic rice made its way into Karnataka? What about complying with standards set for food manufacturing and sale? Are there no checks before the rice makes it to the shops. Especially, the rice, sugar, grains and other items being sold at the fair price houses should go through the standard check.
But it is shocking that plastic rice is available in many districts in Karnataka and the Department concerned has no clue about it until it was telecast in the media.
The area of food safety and standard of food must be taken seriously. The root of plastic rice in Karnataka should be traced, and the government should take stern action against the people manufacturing and supplying it.
FSSAI reminds TTD about licence for ‘laddu’
According to the FSSAI, TTD manufactures more than 20 tonnes of laddus a day
The authority wants a reply to its queries by June 15
An RTI query has revealed that the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) is yet to respond to letters sent a year ago by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) asking why they had not taken a food licence or allowed authorities to inspect their kitchen.
Subsequently, the FSSAI sent two reminders on June 1, 2016 and on March 30 this year. After not getting any response, the FSSAI has asked the TDD to reply to its queries by June 15.
According to the FSSAI, TTD manufactures more than 20 tonnes of laddus per day, which are handed over to devotees as prasadam.
As per the Food Safety and Standards Act, this is considered a food business for which a licence should be obtained. M. Kannan, Deputy Director, Central Licensing Authority, FSSAI, Southern Regional Deputy Director, who sent the letter on May 18 seeking a response from the TTD, said, “They are not cooperating with us despite sending several reminders. We cannot enter their premises by force. If they do not reply by June 15, we will take advice from the central office for necessary action.”
The letter states that obtaining a licence is mandatory. The premises where the prasadam is prepared should be inspected by FSSAI officials as per instruction from the Regulatory Compliance Division wing, New Delhi. “Being a pilgrimage institution, this office is intending to inspect the premises at a convenient date, with the co-operation of the organisation. Hence, the TTD is requested to inform the date and time for inspection as early as possible,” says the letter.
T. Narasimhamurthy, a resident of Bengaluru who had filed an RTI in this regard, wants the temple, one of the biggest pilgrim centres in the world, to comply with the law of the land. “The TTD should set an example for others. Temples like Siddhi Vinayak in Mumbai and that of Sai Baba in Shirdi have taken a licence,” he said.
Food safety drive turns ugly in Manipur
Dimapur, June 8 (EMN): A team of food safety enforcement wing, Imphal East today conducted drive against sale of tobacco products and meat shops along the main road in Hatta Golapati in Manipur’s Imphal east district on Thursday.
The team also sealed shops which were selling meat without the FSSAI license and in hazardous conditions, reports said.
A group of women came out and tried to snatch the confiscated tobacco items around noon while the team was checking the shops. Scuffles ensued between the women and members of the Food Safety Enforcement Wing, Imphal East. An additional police force was rushed at the site to control the situation.
The day’s incident happened a day after Imphal West district police seized tobacco products from a Tata Ace mini truck worth around Rs 12 lakh along with the arrest of two persons on tuesday.The arrested persons have been identified as Premchand Prajapati (37) from Uttar Pradesh presently staying in a rented house at Wahengbam Leikai and Khunjamayum Jhalajit (410 of Thangmeiband Hijam Dewan Leikai.The seized smokeless tobacco products were exhibited at Imphal West commando complex today evening in the presence of media persons.
At Churachandpur too, police seized a huge quantity of tobacco products estimated to be worth about Rs 5 lakh today from one non-local man who is involved in trading the banned item in and around the town.The seized tobacco products include two cartons of 50 gms Baba Black zarda, 56 boxes of Balmiki pan masala, 60 pouches of Signal pan masala, 9 cartons of Savera (Large), 2 cartons of Savera (Small), 2 big white cartons of Signal, 3 bags of Nevla chewing tobacco, and 1 bag of Talab pan masala.
People complain against ‘plastic rice’
Mild tension prevailed in Pendurthi area, when residents of Ekalavya Colony approached the local police alleging that plastic rice was being sold at a few shops, here on Wednesday.
The police forwarded the complaint to the Food Safety Department of the GVMC, who sent samples to the State Food Laboratory in Hyderabad.
According to Pendurthi Inspector J. Murali, residents approached them and complained that their children had been suffering from stomach pain and other health issues after consuming the rice of a particular brand. The Pendurthi police forwarded the complaint to the Food Safety department of GVMC.
Don’t believe in plastic rice rumours: Anand
Doubts galore:Residents of Goshamahal Arya Samaj showing the alleged Chinese plastic rice mixed with normal rice in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
Samples sent to State Food Laboratory for chemical tests
Commissioner of Civil Supplies C.V. Anand on Wednesday advised citizens not to believe in rumours on plastic rice as tests conducted on samples collected from the complainant in the Corporation laboratory had shown it was not ‘plastic rice’.
Rice samples have been sent to State Food Laboratory for further chemical tests to totally rule it out and in the meantime, enforcement and vigilance officials were put on high alert.
Corporation officials have been given guidelines through video on how to recognise plastic rice and notice if it is mixed anywhere and carry out checks when there are doubts.
Rice millers too have been cautioned in this matter. Tests in Civil Supplies laboratory were conducted in the presence of quality control analyzer Osman Mohiuddin, general manager Jayadev Singh and assistant manager (technical) G. Saidulu.
Samples have also been collected from the mill on which the complaint was lodged in the Meerpet Police Station on Tuesday and from the complainant. Both the samples were sent to the lab for testing.
After conducting physical analysis and ‘D-husk’ test, the rice was soaked in water for some time.
Rice pastry jumps
Plastic rice would have floated but there was no such sign was seen during the tests. And after the rice samples were cooked, it became a paste as it usually does when normal rice is cooked. This rice pastry was also slightly jumping like a rubber ball.
When rice from the complainant and from the mill were cooked at the same time, the result was the same indicating that both are not plastic rice, clarified Mr. Anand.
After conducting physical analysis and ‘D-husk’ test, the rice was soaked in water for some time.
C.V. Anand
Civil Supplies Commissioner
FSSAI to launch draft regulations on food labelling, ads, packaging
Kolkata, June 8 (IANS) Draft regulations on food labelling, advertisements and packaging will be unveiled soon, India's food safety regulator FSSAI said here on Thursday.
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) will launch the draft regulations in a few weeks, said its CEO Pawan Agarwal.
"There will be three separate sets of regulations for labelling, claims and advertisements and third on packaging (materials used). The draft regulations will soon be released across all food groups," Agarwal told the media here.
He said constituents, such as salt, will be marked on a per serve basis in case of labelling.
Agarwal said the FSSAI also plans to empanel third party auditors to inspect facilities of the companies manufacturing food products.
Agarwal was speaking on the sidelines of a consultation on improving nutrition of tea garden workers through food fortification.
It involved the officials from West Bengal and Assam governments, Tea Board of India, India Tea Association, tea companies and industry.
"We have requested the state governments to draw up a road map for food fortification in tea gardens and we will connect them to suppliers of fortified staples," he added.
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