Akshaya Patra looks at 50,000 meals a day

The foundation’s upgraded kitchen promises more hygienic food

With the promise of cleaner and hygienic food, the Akshaya Patra Foundation, which supplies mid-day meals for 147 government schools in the district, will open its upgraded kitchen here on Tuesday.

Addressing presspersons on Monday, Karunya Sagar Dasa, president of the Foundation in the city, said the changes to their kitchen include granite flooring, more automation in cooking and handling of food, among others. Though this won’t augment the 23,000 meals-a-day capacity of the kitchen, the changes would help the kitchen conform to national standards of food safety, he said.

The upgradation is a part of the larger plan for the Foundation to aim for 50,000 meals a day. “The current kitchen is just 3,000 square feet and has reached its saturation point. We will need to get land for a bigger kitchen if our goal is to be met,” said Mr. Sagar.

The limitation of the current kitchen sees just one government school in Puttur being added to the roster of the Foundation which has been functioning in the district since 2006.

On Tuesday, B. Ramanath Rai, Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment, will flag off a new vehicle for transportation of food as well as throw open the upgraded (phase II) kitchen. A total of 10 toppers and meritorious students would also be handed awards on the occasion, said the organisation.

Fried food limit in school meals

Pies, battered and fried food will be limited in the school food regulations

School meals in England will have to include at least three fruit and vegetable portions each week – and no more than two portions of fried food.

Ministers have announced regulations for school food in state schools, which will apply from January 2015

The regulations promote drinking water and limit the size of fruit juice portions to quarter pints (150ml).

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said the rules would “continue to restrict unhealthy foods”.

The school food regulations, designed to promote healthy eating, will be mandatory for local authority schools, new free schools and schools that convert to academies.

Pastry limit

They will replace regulations introduced in the wake of Jamie Oliver’s campaign to improve the standard of school food.

The Department for Education said the previous rules had done “much to improve school food” but “were complicated and expensive to enforce”.

The revised regulations are intended to allow school cooks more “flexibility”.

The school meal requirements include:

§  one or more portions of vegetables or salad as an accompaniment every day

§  at least three different fruits, and three different vegetables each week

§  an emphasis on wholegrain foods in place of refined carbohydrates

§  an emphasis on making water the drink of choice

§  limiting fruit juice portions to quarter pints (150ml)

§  restricting the amount of added sugars or honey in other drinks to 5%

§  no more than two portions a week of food that has been deep-fried, batter-coated or breadcrumb-coated

§  no more than two portions of food that include pastry each week

“We know that children are continuing to eat too much saturated fat, sugar and salt,” said Susan Jebb, professor of diet and population health at Oxford University.

“It is vital that the food children are offered in schools is nutritious and helps them to learn about the basics of a healthy diet.”

Education Secretary Michael Gove said: “We now have a clear and concise set of food standards, which are easier for cooks to follow and less expensive to enforce. Crucially we have achieved this without any compromise on quality or nutrition.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said: “The revised school food standards will allow schools to be more creative in their menus. They are easier for schools to understand and crucially they will continue to restrict unhealthy foods to ensure our children eat well.”

Christine Blower, leader of the National Union of Teachers, said it was a “missed opportunity” that it would not be mandatory for all schools.

The regulations will be voluntary for schools that became academies between 2010 and 2014.

“Parents of children in these schools will rightly be unhappy that the government is failing to deliver the same guarantee of minimum nutritional food standards for all school,” she said.

Civic body seizes rotten meat

The Chennai Corporation on Tuesday seized 3.3 tonnes of rotten meat at Chennai Central railway station, after they were unloaded from the Jaipur Express.

The cheap pricing of such meat is the key reason for its popularity among small meat shops and hotels, said officials. Following the crackdown a few years ago by the Corporation, smuggling of rotten meat through rail reduced significantly. In the past few weeks, merchants have started using the rail route owing to a dip in monitoring. The civic body, in association with the food safety department, is planning to screen more than 1,000 licensed meat shops and create awareness on public health.

Crackdown on gutka

The food safety department on Tuesday also cracked down on illegal sale of gutka in Sowcarpet, Koyambedu, Arumbakkam and Saidapet, and seized one tonne of the product.

3 tonnes of rotten meat seized at Central

CHENNAI: Corporation officials on Tuesday seized 3,300 kg of rotten meat from the Jaipur-Chennai Express at Chennai Central, bringing to light the transport and sale of such meat. Smugglers continue to bring and supply such meat in the city because of the lack of stringent action, say experts.

Corporation officials said the seized meat was meant for various eateries. "It appears to have come from Sikar in Rajasthan. But it was not packed with ice or preservatives," said an official.

Officials of the corporation and food safety department had seized several tonnes of rotten meat from trains coming from Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan in the past one and a half years.

Sources say those bringing in such meat supply it to several traders, including those in Chintadripet. "Many eateries purchase the meat because it is cheaper than meat of animals slaughtered locally. Several hotels continue to mix rotten meat along with low grade meat," alleged Chennai Mutton Merchants (retailers) Association general secretary M Anwar Basha Qureshi. He said the existing corporation slaughterhouses were in a poor condition. "We also want to set up more slaughterhouses in the city."

Tamil Nadu Hotels Association secretary R Srinivasan said hotels did not use rotten meat as it would affect their reputation. "Such meat is used by roadside shops and those located near Tasmac outlets."

Health experts fear the sale of rotten meat stored in unhygienic conditions could lead to outbreak of diseases. Consumption of such meat, they say, can cause gastrointestinal problems, especially food poisoning.

The civic body regulates meat stalls under Sections 309 and 349 (21) of the Chennai City Municipal Corporation Act, 1919. Officials said butchers without licences under Section 309 of the Act will not be allowed to sell meat products.

Use of adulterated tea rampant in Trichy stalls

TRICHY: It seems adulterated tea powder is still being widely used at several outlets in Trichy and Perambalur districts as efforts to trace the source of spurious stuff have so far failed. Food safety wing which conducted raids at some tea shops recently had found adulterated tea powder at a few shops.

Food safety wing officials also claimed that they have information that sub-standard tea powder is used in Manapparai which is on the outskirts of Trichy. "We have been trying to find out the manufacturers of such stuff. But they are operating secretly. We take our best efforts to stop spurious stuff from entering into Trichy district," said Dr A Ramakrishnan, designated officer of the food safety wing in Trichy.

Around 100 kg of adulterated tea powder was seized at Paadalur on Trichy border by the food safety wing in Perambalur district last week. They were found at some shops, including that of a tea powder distributor.

Tea-shop owners eyeing high margins use adulterated powder that harms tea drinkers. Last month, the food safety wing shad raided tea shops in Srirangam and seized sub-standard tea powder. Though, officials tried to find out the manufacturer, its origin remains a mystery.

"Acting on a tip-off we seized the adulterated tea powder. Preliminary tests confirmed the use of dye and iron fillings in tea. However, the concerned people challenged our tests claiming that they have original tea powder. We have taken samples and sent them for lab testing. Based on the lab reports, legal action will be initiated against them," said Dr A Pushparaj who is the designated officer of the food safety wing in Perambalur.

Consumption of adulterated tea will cause adverse health consequences in the long run.

Meanwhile, Dr Pushparaj advised people to take care and try to consume safe products.

Officials cancel licence of Milan Hotel, slap fine of Rs 35,000

Food Safety and Standard Authority officials today cancelled licence of a Hotel and slapped fine of Rs 35,000 for not maintaining hygiene condition in kitchen and store room.

A team of officials led by Food Safety and Standard Authority Designated Officer Jagadish Nuchin, who are on a drive to inspect the hygienic condition in the city Hotels, held raids on Hotel Milan on Club Road. It was found that the hotel owner was carrying out business in complete violation of norms and not maintaining hygiene and cleanliness.

It was found that the Food was being prepared in filthy conditions; more over the toiletwas located besides the kitchen. Even the store room was in a dismal state. The personal hygiene of the food serving staff was not up to the mark. They were sporting long uncovered hair and long dirty nails.

Speaking to media, Mr Nuichin said they were on a drive to check hygienic condition at hotels, during their visit to Hotel Milan owner had completely comprised with hygiene.

The officials without heading to any pressure slapped fine and canceled the licence. Mr Nuchin also stated he had recommended for the seizure of the hotel for violations.

The same team which held inspections at a few Hotels and Restaurants yesterday issued notice against the Delhi Darbar, a non-vegetarian Hotel in the city.

Now, Indian paan leaves under EU scanner

According to a report released by the European Commission on Friday, since August 2011 a high proportion of consignments of paan leaves imported into the UK from India have tested positive for salmonella which causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting.

LONDON: After Alphonso mangoes, paan leaves from India are now under the European Union's scanner.

According to a report released by the European Commission on Friday, since August 2011 a high proportion of consignments of paan leaves imported into the UK from India have tested positive for salmonella. Salmonella causes severe diarrhoea and vomiting.

EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) said "continuous reports notified by UK have led to the setting up of reinforced checks for paan leaves from India".
READ ALSO: Mango import ban: EU to send inspection team

"An important source of RASFF notifications on pathogens are fruits and vegetables," it said. "The main pathogen referred through RASFF is salmonella. The high reason for salmonella contamination since 2011 is paan leaves."

The latest data showed last year India received the second highest number of RASFF notifications (257) after China (433).

The EU said Europe was more than ever reliant on RASFF to ensure "that our food meets some of the highest food safety standards in the world".

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has earlier issued a warning to consumers about the risk of salmonella food poisoning from paan leaves. The FSA has asked authorities at UK ports and airports to sample and test all consignments of paan leaves presented for import, especially those coming from India and Thailand.

"RASFF is a vital tool to respond to food safety risks in Europe, since information is swiftly exchanged to protect European consumers," said Tonio Borg, the EU commissioner for health. "The horsemeat scandal illustrated the RASFF system in action and food products adulterated with horsemeat were traced back to source and withdrawn from the market."

Europe has already banned the import of India's world-famous Alphonso mangoes. On March 26, the EU's 28 member states endorsed emergency measures proposed by the European Commission to ban the import of certain fruits and vegetables from India. The ban, put in force by EU's Standing Committee on Plant Health, came into force from May 1.

READ ALSO: After EU ban on mangoes, Iran cuts basmati import

Besides the Indian mango, the other fruits and vegetables banned included Colocasia (taro, eddo) Momordica sp (bitter gourd), Solanum melongena (eggplant) and Trichosanthes sp (snake gourd). The commission says the decision was taken due to a high number of intercepted consignments containing quarantine pests, mainly insects.

A review of the measures will take place before December 31, 2015.

Food map of India will be made to boost Food Processing

Prime Minister Modi in his first parliament speech said that we don’t have real time agri produce data. He emphasized on technology revolution in agriculture with the help of already successful India IT sector. Now the first feeler working towards some real time data, the ministry of food processing is planning to develop a food map to help identify food clusters across the country.

Harsimrat Kaur Badal, minister for food processing industries said the food map will not only help identify strengths in terms of crop strength, production, processing, but also help the ministry to ensure the desired interventions to expand the Indian food export market and develop brand India in CII meet.

Kaur also said the food processing ministry is working to devise new schemes to provide last mile delivery to farmers, which include ‘farm to shelf’ schemes like setting up mobile processing vans which could reach out to farmers, and setting up small food processing units providing business incubation, training and a processing centre at village level so that farmers’ produce is processed and reach markets.

Minister also mentioned government top priority to curve the inflation which is directly related to processing of agro produce. Boosting food processing is also on top of the agenda, followed by mitigating post harvest fruit and vegetable losses and driving and accelerating food processing industries growth and to de-regulate and simplify governmental systems, processes and clearances that delay food processing projects, causing huge losses to the companies putting up projects.