Shakti, Modern, Mughal Darbar face closure for selling ‘unhygenic’ products

The action was taken following complaints by consumers and some NGOs that these outlets were selling low quality and unhygienic food to people in the city. (Representational picture)

SRINAGAR — The Srinagar Municipal Corporation has served notices to four popular food joints in summer capital Srinagar for poor sanitation and selling unhygienic products.

The notices have been issued to Shakti Sweets, Modern Sweets and Hollywood Bakery, all located on Residency Road in Srinagar, and Mughal Darbar outlet of Karan Nagar. Dr Shafqat Khan, the health officer of the corporation directed the owners of these joints to improve their sanitary conditions within seven days failing which action might be taken against them which includes sealing of their premises.

“If these food establishments don’t abide by the law, action will be taken against them under Food Safety Standard Act 2006 which involved a fine of one lakh rupees or imprisonment including sealing of their premises,” he told Srinagar based KNS news agency.

The action was taken following complaints by consumers and some NGOs that these outlets were selling low quality and unhygienic food to people in the city. The public health wing of SMC is conducting a food safety audit in the city based on cleanliness and hygiene in food establishments, pest and rodent control, uniform and other related for workers, and medical and health fitness of the employees working in the food joints.

“We are inspecting hygienic condition of the premises and educating the food operators regarding the Food Safety Act. Whenever we have pointed out problems, owners of eateries have assured us that they will take corrective steps. But this time, we have served notices to these food joints and if they fail to comply with our directions within a week, they may face closure of their establishments,” Dr Khan told KNS.

Dispute over labelling norms: Imported chocolates rotting in warehouses across India this Diwali

Over 200 tonnes of imported gourmet chocolates from around the world, including brands such as Godiva, Guylian, Lindt and Mars, are rotting in dusty warehouses across Indian ports and airports.

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Over 200 tonnes of imported gourmet chocolates from around the world, including brands such as Godiva, Guylian, Lindt and Mars, are rotting in dusty warehouses across Indian ports and airports.
The reason? A seemingly arcane dispute between an arm of India's health ministry and food importers on whether it is sufficient to affix a sticker on imported food consignments to comply with Indiaspecific labelling products — such as brown and green dots to separate vegetarian and non-vegetarian items as well as nutritional information, source and product origin.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) — the regulatory agency under the health ministry that supervises import of food items to ensure quality — has blocked several consignments of packaged food, citing tougher labelling requirements arising from a new law, the Food Safety and Standards Act of 2006 that came into force in 2011. The nub of the problem is FSSAI's insistence that pasting of stickers is not allowed. Instead, it wants details printed on the product pack before they are shipped to India.

Till now, "stickering" was the prevalent trade practice, resulting in the stand-off. Chocolates are not the only items failing to make it past Indian Customs. Shipments of artisinal cheese from France, crisps from the US, spicy Thai condiments and Italian pasta sauces have also been held up. While FSSAI argues its zerotolerance policy is based on law of the land, manufacturers and importers call these actions arbitrary and illegal.

Officials Refute Charges

They are challenging the authority's interpretation of the law. The EU mission in Delhi as well as the embassies of Belgium and Switzerland have been approached by some of the affected companies.

"It's not about one or two categories, FSSAI's interpretation of the regulations is hampering all kinds of food imports. These are perishable goods and many are even getting reexported. This has crippled trade. Close to 30 food importers are shutting shop. More will follow or switch to other items," said Amit Lohani, convenor, Forum of Indian Food Importers, an industry body. Lohani's colleagues add that till date government officials have blocked over 1,100 containers.

Most are lying abandoned or are likely to be shipped back to their country of origin. The new norms have also ensured that packaged food and beverage imports into India have come down by half in recent months, unable to comply with FSSAI's diktat.

Says a leading importer of chocolates from South Asia and Europe, who requested anonymity given the sensitivity of the matter, "The move (by FSSAI) is economically unviable. There was no grace period given to importers to implement the new labelling norms. This has just happened a few weeks before Diwali and is a matter of huge concern for industry."

Avoid fat in food to make Deepavali healthy

Amoga Laxmi Sukka/ Hyderabad: Cutting down on excess fats, preservatives and food color is the key for safe and healthy Deepavali, the nutrition experts say. They caution that many of the mouth-watering sweets available in the market during Deepavali may be adulterated and of substandard quality. “The bulk demand of sweets during festivals is one of the reasons for adulteration that can cause serious health hazards”, said Sujatha Stephen, the chief nutritionist at Global Hospitals.
"Silver and gold foils in sweets may look sparkling to the eyes but definitely not to the healthy body"

The unhygienic conditions in kitchens and usage of same oil repeatedly can lead to radical change in metabolism. “The ghee can be adulterated with mashed sweet potatoe or vanaspati which is generally not good for elderly people. The saturated fat in it may increase cholesterol levels causing ill health”, she said.The shelf-life of sweets can range between a few hours to a day, beyond the permissible limits it gives rise to fungus due to moisture and people do not notice as it is mixes with sweet color. Extreme care and precautions must be taken while preparing sweets and preserving it at right temperatures in sweet shops. The moisture levels present in the sweet box can change the nutritive and healthy values of it, the Nutritionist said.
Silver and gold foils in sweets may look pleasant and sparkling to the eyes but definitely not to your healthy body. According to the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, silver foil with a purity of 99.9% can be used in edible form. Aluminum foil is whitish grey in color and is readily soluble in concentrated hydrochloric acid while silver foil is not. Knowing this simple thing can avert unhealthy impact on body.
“The foils used in sweets within permissible limits directed by Food Standard Authority of India will be safe for consumption. The quality of foil differs a lot and it is not known if it is of standard or cheap quality that can affect primarily the children”, she cautioned.
Tests conducted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have confirmed that the silver foil used for coating sweets is increasingly being adulterated with aluminium. Aluminium is a hazardous metal and accumulates in body tissues, especially in the bones. It can also enter the brain. During pregnancy it can cause damage to the placenta and foetus. People with disturbed metabolism cannot digest and give rise to gastro disturbances and bladder stones.
Given the skyrocketing prices of sugar, khoya and permissive colors, most of the small and middle range sweet shops are compromising on the quality of sweets. Balaji S, vendor of a sweet shop said that cost of colors that was Rs 150 per packet last year has increased to Rs 200.
The shops that are not licensed tend to use cheap colors to make sweets look colorful which is carcinogenic in nature and can affect brain, Stephen warned. For preserving sweets, manufacturers use formalin, a chemical used for preservation of corpses.
Consuming formalin-mixed products can even damage kidneys and liver. It can cause asthma attacks and cancer. Pregnant women are most vulnerable to this chemical and if consumed during pregnancy there are chances of delivering a physically challenged baby. Sweets made from fruit extracts and dry fruits pack is more nutritious and healthier than sweets. Dark chocolates are the perfect option as anything based with cocoa and dry fruit are bounced with micro minerals and energy, the Nutritionist said.

Food safety officials seize products of leading store in Gobichettipalayam

ERODE: A leading departmental store in Gobichettipalyam was inspected and its warehouse sealed on Friday morning after health department officials found products which had expired and lacked manufacturing labels and addresses. Products worth Rs10lakhs were seized from the warehouse and samples sent for inspection.

The issue came to light after Gobichettipalyam sub-collector Chandrasekaran received a complaint that Kannan Departmental Store on Erode Main road in Gobichettipalyam was selling food products which had expired. He inspected the shop on Thursday night. Finding products without labels he informed health officials who visited the shop and later held a detailed inspection over 12 hours ending on Friday morning. "The inspection was carried out after receiving a written complaint that products sold were past the expiry date. After finding some expired products, officials from the department of health and food safety were informed," he said. Seven officials inspected the shop and found items which were expired and lacked manufacturing labels. While the outdated items were destroyed the others were seized and samples sent for inspection to laboratories. Based on the results further action will be taken.

S Kannan, Food Safety Officer of Gobichettipalayam area said that they seized products worth more than Rs 10 lakh which were later destroyed. Food products ranging from chocolates to grocery items were found without the mandatory labels and details. The inspection which started at 8.30 pm lasted till 9am the following day. Many products including chocolates were found to be without labels.

Officials said that samples of the products including chocolates and dates and other food products were sent for inspection to the government run laboratory. If the results indicated to be positive, legal action would be taken.

Mad Over Donuts introduces Diwali Explosions – special range for festival

Mad Over Donuts, a gourmet donut brand from Singapore, has launched a range of Diwali donut flavours – Diwali Explosions – as a festive season special.

According to a press release issued by the company, infused with traditional Diwali mithais like mohanthal, boondi, kaju katli and coconut, these donuts make for a perfect Diwali gift.

The range - Boondi Bomb: Dipped in glaze and topped with a burst of boondi, melon seeds and a dark chocolate drizzle; Ka-boom: Dipped in milk chocolate. Filled with an explosion of kaju-katli custard. And topped with kaju katli; Coconut Blast: Dipped in rich white chocolate and sprinkled with a blast of delicious crushed coconuts; and Nuts Over Mohanthal: Dipped in milk chocolate. Filled with mohanthal custard. And topped with a flare of festive almond and pistachio flakes.

Price: Rs 55/ donut. In-stores till Nov 17. The offerings would be available at all Mad Over Donuts outlets across Mumbai, Pune, Delhi/NCR, and Bengaluru.

Dairy Universe, Sweet & SnackTec to be held from Dec 10-12 at Ahmedabad

The eighth edition of Dairy Universe India: International Exhibition on Dairy Processing, Packaging & Distribution Technology, Equipment & Supplies and Sweet & SnackTec India: International Exhibition on Sweet & Snack Processing and Packaging Technology, Equipment & Supplies are scheduled to be organised concurrent to each other from December 10 to 12, 2013, at Gujarat University Convention and Exhibition Centre, Ahmedabad.

According to a press release issued by the organisers, over the years, both the exhibitions have become one of the most important platforms for suppliers to the dairy, sweet, snack and confectionery manufacturing industry to showcase their latest technological offerings to ‘who is who’ of the respective sectors.

Gujarat being one of the major manufacturing hub for sweet and snacks manufacturing, pioneer in operating dairy cooperatives and sweet and snacks culturally being a significant part of the food habits of the people of Gujarat makes it a perfect place to host these trade fairs, as per an organiser.

Over 150 companies are expected to showcase latest technological offerings for the dairy, sweet, snack and confectionery industry. Other key points include - Exhibitor participation from around 16 countries; ?Live demonstration of machines and equipments; and ?Concurrent seminars on focussed topics.

Concurrent Seminars
A two-day seminar on December 10 and 11, 2013, with the theme “Quality Initiatives in Dairy Value Chain (from Producer to Consumer)” will be organised by Indian Dairy Association - Gujarat State Chapter and Mansinhbhai Institute of Dairy & Food Technology in association with Koelnmesse YA Tradefair Pvt. Ltd.

A one-day seminar on December 11, 2013, with the theme “Emerging Global Trends in Ice Cream Industry” is being organised jointly by Indian Ice Cream Manufacturers Association (IICMA) and Koelnmesse YA Tradefair Pvt. Ltd. 

UAS promoting terrace vegetable gardening to offset prices, ensure quality

University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru, is encouraging the concept of terrace vegetable gardening to offset rising prices and ensure access to quality produce.

“We need to ensure that all households take up kitchen gardening either on the ground floor or on terraces to have access to fresh vegetables and fruits. This is on lines similar to Chinese concept where every household has vegetable-fruit garden,” said M K Shankaralinge Gowda, principal secretary, department of horticulture, Government of Karnataka.

Now the state department of horticulture is all set to launch a project aimed at promoting kitchen gardens at the household level, urban horticulture on the premises of schools and anganwadis, and community gardens with a focus on vegetable cultivation.

In order to strengthen the initiative, the department has roped in the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) to support this project.

The key objective is to ensure availability of fresh fruits and vegetables to people, especially children and women, on a daily basis in the districts of Bidar, Gulbarga, Koppal, Yadgir, Raichur and Bellary.

At a two-day fair-cum-workshop on terrace gardening held on October 27 and 28, as part of the mela, considerable efforts to nurture a kitchen garden were offered by experts.

At the inaugural event, Supreme Court judge V S Gopala Gowda said that farmers would have got better prices for their produce if the governments had implemented the Crop Pattern Act 1964 that provided for regulating crops to be grown in different areas depending upon the needs and availability of resources. A crop regulation mechanism was in vogue in China.

He urged people, especially those in the urban areas, to be aware that farmers were not getting remunerative prices for their crops. “There is need to eliminate the role of middlemen in agricultural markets,” he said.

According to Dr K Narayana Gowda, VC, UAS, efforts to start terrace gardens should be a priority of households. The event is held for the first time in the country to encourage people in urban areas to grow vegetables, fruits and mushrooms on their residential premises through terrace gardening and other methods to ensure availability of nutritious and fresh vegetables and also to fight food shortage. Apiary and fish-rearing are part of the garden package proposed under urban horticulture.

The urban horticulture event witnessed an estimated 1.20 lakh people visiting on the first day and there was a sale which generated Rs 10 lakh worth of planting material, according to C Vasudevappa, dean (post graduate studies), and mela chief co-ordinator, UAS.

About 120 stalls were set up at the event to sell plant material and seedlings of vegetables and flowers besides garden tools and related material. Novel technologies like vertical gardening and wall gardening were displayed particularly for high-rise homes.

In tune with the water conservation concept, the event highlighted waterproof plastic sacks that proved to be ideal as pots and drip irrigation system in terrace gardening. Further, there were also trays containing 50 plants of common vegetables.

“Urban horticulture will not only ensure availability of high-value vegetables but also help tackle the problem of solid waste disposal as residents are encouraged to turn their daily wet garbage into vermi-compost for their plants,” said Dr Gowda.

“UAS is now working to make urban horticulture a sustainable initiative. In this regard, it is encouraging residents’ welfare associations to take up production of quality seeds and plants,” stated the UAS VC.

Officials take sweets samples for lab test

Food Safety Officers collecting samples from a sweets manufacturing unit at R.S.Puram in Coimbatore on Monday.— Photo: K.Ananthan

Food Safety Officials on Monday began taking samples from sweets shops across the district ahead of the festival season of Deepavali.

Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department (Food Safety Wing) Designated Officer R. Kathiravan said that this was part of measures to check the quality of sweets, since this period witnessed a huge surge in sales. The spurt in demand could lead to deterioration in quality, he said.The samples will be tested at the Government Food Analysis Laboratory here. If the tests revealed the quality to be unsatisfactory, improvement notices would be served on the shops, he said.

Samples will be taken till Deepavali.