THE RICE AND FALL OF ‘PLASTIC’

 

After rigorous testing, Centre dismisses reports of plastic rice and egg; calls it a case of adulteration

In an attempt to put an end to the long-drawn debate on “fake” eggs and rice, the Centre has stepped in. Now, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, after testing samples from across the country, has concluded that there is no such thing as ‘plastic’ rice. It all boils down to adulteration.

The department of food and public distribution had collected samples from 29 states and 7 Union territories in the country and a total of 39,284 samples were analysed. The conclusion was that there was no plastic rice and the department stated that it was actually just poor quality rice.

CR Chaudhury, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public distribution, said: "While plastic rice rumours were doing the rounds on social media, the matter was taken up with the Kerala and Gujarat governments on the basis of an International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) alert. The governments concerned have confirmed that there has been no such reports in their respective states. "

Random sampling was done and from Karnataka, 2,837 samples were received for testing and analysis. It was found that 341 samples were adulterated and the remaining proved that it was low quality rice. The department has launched 26 criminal cases and 112 civil cases on manufacturers and penalized them too. 112 manufacturers have been penalized and penalties totalling Rs. 21,95,900 were received. The sampling and testing was done by officials of the Food safety departments of the respective states to check compliance of standards laid down under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, Rules and Regulations.

Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, YG Shadakshari, Director of Research, University of Agricultural Sciences, said, "It is very expensive to manufacture plastic rice. It is so expensive that it is not possible at all. I really wonder how these rumours came up. As per our testing based on samples received by Bangalore Mirror, we found it was only low quality rice. The government needs to probe whether adulteration is the main cause of all these plastic rumours." While the testing was headed by Prof KV Jamuna, UAS, she said, "When we did detailed research and testing, it was found out that this is totally a case of low quality rice. What residents of the city found was rice that had expired was being sold. Otherwise, something like ‘plastic’ is a bizarre thing to make."

No fake eggs either

Another grave issue that was making rounds on social media was ‘plastic’ eggs. Dr Murthy, Dean of the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Science University, who did a complete test on eggs and said they were ‘rotten’ and ‘spoiled’.

FSSAI to decide over introducing pictorial warning on liquor bottles, alcoholic beverages

 

Delhi High court, which heard the plea on May 18, refused to give a direction to increase the size of statutory warning on liquor bottles and packaging, saying it was in the realm of policy making.

Pictorial messages will serve as an alert or reminder to road users about the hazards of drunk driving and help in reducing the risk of road accidents tragedies.

Liquor bottles in the country may soon carry pictorial messages cautioning people against ill effects of alcohol and warning them about drunk driving. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), which is in the process of finalising standards for alcoholic beverage, is studying global practices regarding pictorial warnings and messages around drunk driving, an official said.

“We are examining international practices regarding pictorial warnings and messages around drunk driving and alcohol consumption. After this we will finalise our recomendations for inclusion of such warnings in regulations for alcoholic beverages that are being finalised,” the FSSAI official, who did not wish to be named, said. NGO Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD) had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in Delhi High Court seeking pictorial warning on drunk driving on all alcohol bottles, Indian or Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL).

The court, which heard the plea on May 18, refused to give a direction to increase the size of statutory warning on liquor bottles and packaging, saying it was in the realm of policy making.

However, it had directed the FSSAI, under the ministry of health, to consider the plea as a suggestion and take a firm view in this regard. “I have met officials at FSSAI and given them four designs along with messages to be used as part of the bottle label. Pictorial warnings are critical as they are understood, easily without any language barrier and also comprehensible by persons who cannot read or write,” said Prince Singhal, activist and founder of CADD.

He said pictorial messages will serve as an alert or reminder to road users about the hazards of drunk driving and help in reducing the risk of road accidents tragedies.

India loses over 1,46,000 lives every year out of which 1,00,000 are due to drunk driving, Singhal claimed, adding drunk driving is also responsible for over 72 per cent of fatal road accidents.

FSSAI bans stapler pins in tea bags from January 2018

 

NEW DELHI, JULY 24:

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on Monday said it is banning the use of stapler pins in tea bags effective January 1, 2018.

The move is expected to affect the fast growing packaged tea business in the country, as FSSAI has deemed the use of stapler pins in tea bag a serious health hazard.

It said in an order: “The use of stapler pins in tea bags poses potential hazard to consumers since any loose staple pin consumed inadvertently with tea may cause a serious health hazard.”

Currently, tea bags are either stapled or knotted.

“The Food Authority, in exercise of the power conferred under Section (15) FSS Act, 2006, hereby directs the concerned food business operators to discontinue the manufacture, storage, distribution, sale and import of stapled tea bags by January 1, 2018.”

It has also directed all food safety commissioners to take action to prevent the use of unsafe packaging materials by companies and take up measures for enforcement of its order.

According to industry estimates, the tea bag segment contributes 3-4 per cent by value of total tea sales but it is one of the fastest growing segments at 50-60 per cent year-on-year.

Posted by ADMN at 7:52 AM No comments:

Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest

India’s food regulator should learn from middle-income countries: Report

 

India needs to look beyond food regulations in the US and learn from the middle income countries, such as Vietnam, New Zealand, China, and the UK, a report on FSSAI

FSSAI, which came in the limelight in June 2015 for cracking down on Nestle India, mainly follows the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to set standards and rules regarding food safety.

New Delhi: To ensure safe food across the country, India needs to look beyond food regulations in the United States and learn from the middle income countries, like Vietnam, New Zealand, China, Netherlands and the UK, Donald Macrae, senior consultant on regulatory reform, World Bank Group, said in a report on the country’s food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

Macrae’s report was based on FSSAI’s request to the Global Food Safety Partnership (GFSP), a public-private initiative of the World Bank Group, to advise it on international engagements.

“Most of its (FSSAI’s) partnerships have been with developed countries but it has much to learn from other middle income countries that are facing similar issues at present or have faced them recently and moved through them,” Macrae said in the report.

With an engagement with Vietnam, FSSAI can learn impact of slow urbanisation and how to deal with rural population (close to 70% India’s population still live in rural areas), and how to establish surveillance plans for sampling nationwide among others, the report noted.

From China, it could learn how to deal with scaling up operations that covers 1.3 billion people, risk assessment, adaptation of modern systems and seamless co-ordination between the centre, states and the municipalities, Macrae said.

According to Macrae, FSSAI should follow the United Kingdom for regulatory delivery, regulating the ‘meta-market’, third party certification, risk-based inspection and planning, consumer focus and trust. The Indian food regulator should learn risk communication and compliance support from Netherlands and New Zealand respectively, he added.

FSSAI, which came in the limelight in June 2015 for cracking down on Nestle India Ltd after the Swiss food-maker’s popular snack Maggi instant noodles were suspected to contain fragrance enhancer monosodium glutamate and excess lead, mainly follows the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) to set standards and rules regarding food safety.

“For FSSAI, the regulatory objective is to ensure a supply of safe and wholesome food, not to ensure a revenue stream of fines for violations. Punishing those who do not comply because of capacity issues does not solve their capacity issues or deliver safe and wholesome food,” Macrae said in an emailed response to Mint queries.

According to Macrae, under Pawan Kumar Agarwal, the current chief executive officer of FSSAI, the regulator is focusing on the new approach of “supporting those willing to comply, in order that their challenges in complying are overcome and they then deliver safe and wholesome food”. “This focus is in line with what is happening across the world and FSSAI is being truly innovative in tackling this new approach,” added Macrae.

Agarwal could not be reached for comments

Gutka seized

 

Gutka seized from a godown in Indra Nagar in Erode on Monday.

Food safety officials carried out raids at various parts of Erode

Officials of the Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department raided a godown in the city and seized banned gutka items worth Rs. 7 lakh here on Monday.

A 15-member team led by Designated Officer T. Kalaivani along with food safety inspectors and officials, divided into three teams, carried out inspection at tea shops and petty shops in the city.

The drive is to mainly focus on seizing the banned gutka items that were being sold. The team found Rs. 6,000 worth gutka items at shops in bus stand area and Rs. 10,000 worth gutka items at shops near market area. Inquiries revealed that they were supplied the banned items from godown in Indira Nagar.

Officials raided the godown belonging to Yogesh (32) and found 83 bundles of gutka items worth Rs. 7 lakh. Inquiries revealed that the banned item was distributed to retail shops from the godown. Officials seized the items and sealed the godown. A complaint was lodged with Karungalpalayam police who are conducting inquiry.

7 லட்சம் புகையிலை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல்

7 லட்சம் புகையிலை பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல்

பெரம்பலூரில் காலாவதியான பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல்

பெரம்பலூரில் காலாவதியான பொருட்கள் பறிமுதல்