N Food Security Bill: Top official optimistic of smooth implementation

 An ordinance pushed by the Union Cabinet to implement the National Food Security Bill will pave the way for providing food grains to poorer sections of the country at highly subsidised rates. The ordinance will become law following the approval of the President, which is said to have come on Friday.

According to a source, who is associated with the drafting and implementation of the Bill, the Bill will guarantee two-thirds of the Indian population food grains at subsidised rates and there will be no corruption since grievances redressal forums will be set up in every district to ensure its smooth implementation.

Speaking to FnB News, the source informed, “The ordinance has been passed to implement the Food Security Bill but it will have to be cleared by both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. The Bill will entitle three-fourths of rural population and half the urban population in the country rice, wheat and coarse grains - 5 kg at Rs 3, Rs 2 and Rs 1 per kg respectively.”

He added, “This Bill would burn the pocket of the government by Rs 1,25,000 crore and require more than 61 million tonne of food grains. There is ample availability of food grains and it is on the state governments to act now. Million tonne of food grains are rotten in godowns of Food Corporation of India (FCI) so this Bill will reduce the wastage.”

“The state governments will now have to identify the beneficiaries on a warfooting through open transparent criteria. If the beneficiaries don't get the benefits after the implementation of the Bill they can go to the court,” he stated, on a concluding note.

Tobacco ban triggers high demand, hoarding fears – The New Indian Express

Health experts fear that the ban would lead to addiction to alternative substances | Express Photo

While  the ban on gutka and pan masala is being implemented in full force,  other issues such as blackmarketing  and alternative addictive substances have become a cause for concern for enforcement agencies and the Health Department.

Among the biggest fears is the possible hoarding of the illegal pan masala and its sale in the black market at high prices.

Recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authorities seized around 250 kilograms of illegal pan masala from a house in a residential area in Ayanavaram. According to officials, the estimated value of the stock is around Rs 1 lakh. The price would have been much higher, had it found its way to the black market.

“We are taking all possible measures to ensure that there is no hoarding. Four teams have been formed in the city, for the North, South, East and Western parts, to check the illegal storage of pan masala and gutka. In this first phase, we are seizing and destroying the illegal products and serving notices on the shops and the persons concerned. In the coming days, the offenders will face stiff penalties,” says a senior official with the Food Safety and Standards Department.

Health experts say that as per previous experience in other areas, a ban on addictive substances often leads to high demand.

“Immediately after a ban on an addictive substance, there is usually a surge in the demand. This is especially true in the case of chewable tobacco, since the addiction is almost twice as that of cigarettes. The demand can take the form of an increase in black marketing. But, if we are able to direct these consumers to tobacco cessation units, it would be a great step forward in bringing down the addiction rates,” says Prasanna Kannan, WHO Consultant, State Tobacco Control Unit.

Kannan adds that though there is a short-term increase in demand, in the long run the demand is bound to reduce in the lack of availability and the high prices of black market products.

Another concern here is that people who have been used to the chewable tobacco addiction might take to other alternatives.

“Due to sudden unavailability of pan masala and gutka, consumers may take to alternative tobacco products like cigarettes. As such it is important that those who have weaned away from the chewable tobacco are given help so that they do not fall into the trap of another tobacco product,” Kannan adds.

The State Tobacco Control Unit has strengthened its training and awareness programmes.

Pan vendors hope that their tobacco customers will revert to non-tobacco products like sweet pan.

“After the ban, our daily sales has gone down by 50 percent. The customers who take to tobacco-based pan or gutka are not satisfied with anything else and roam around from one shop to the other in search of it. Hopefully these people will take to alternatives like sweet paan, otherwise it will be difficult to run the business,” says a vendor in Vepery.

SC wants action to check Milk Adulteration

A Government survey that found nearly 70 per cent of milk packets and samples in urban country side to be adulterated led the Supreme Court on Tuesday to question the Centre and States on what disciplinary action was initiated against officers who failed to curb this menace.

Finding that Uttar Pradesh was the most notorious in adulteration of both packed and loose milk, the bench of Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Pinaki Chandra Ghosh said: “If 88 per cent of milk is adulterated then the concerned officers need to be prosecuted.”

The court was hearing a PIL seeking regulatory standards to curb sale and manufacture of adulterated milk.

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Rakesh  Khanna informed the court that the situation did merit attention as the survey conducted by Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA) showed shocking levels of adulterated milk on sale across the country.

Revealing these details in an affidavit filed before the court, FSSA’s top-ranking officer stated that the sale of adulterated milk was high in urban areas and the common adulterants found were glucose, milk powder and water. Shockingly, some samples even showed traces of detergents, which is unsafe for consumption.

In all, the survey collected 1,791 samples from 33 States, of which 1226, i.e 68.4 per cent were found to be “non-conforming.” Of this, 381 samples were of rural areas while 845 pertained to the urban population. The study also found 282 among the urban samples to be packed milk with the remaining being loose milk sold in cities.

Agreeing with the grievance expressed in the PIL filed by one Swami Achyutanand Tirth, the bench said: “There is no doubt that adulteration of milk is happening all over the country. It is a very sensitive issue.” But the PIL focused on the health hazard posed by such adulterants.

Even the FSSA study found that water was the most common adulterant. “Addition of water not only reduced the nutritional value of milk but posed a health risk, if contaminated water was mixed,” the affidavit said.

The Court also recalled seeing on television how external agents are added to make milk thick, fatty and foamy. Turning the heat on the Government agencies to improve vigilance and enforce law using punitive measures, the bench observed: “If it (such practices) is still going on we want to know what action has been taken against the officers. We expect at least some disciplinary action to be taken.”

At present only six States are party to the PIL proceedings which included Rajasthan, Haryana, UP, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Assam. The court included even the State of Maharashtra and directed all States and the Centre to respond before July 31, the next date of hearing.

GUTKA CONSUMERS NOW TURN TO ‘DESI PAAN’ TO GET THEIR DAILY FIX

DEMAND AND SUPPLY:Paan shop owners believethat the prices of betel leaves, nuts and other ingredients are likely to go up in the lightof gutka ban.— FILE PHOTO: AFP

Even as those ubiquitous festoons of gutka sachets hanging at roadside shops have begun disappearing after they were banned by the State government last week, many consumers of smokeless tobacco in the city appear to have switched to what their grandparents used to chew.

The demand for “desi paan”, a simple combination of betel nut smeared with white lime, areca and, crucially, a smidgeon of tobacco, has spiked, many paan shop owners say.

Doctors caution that consumption of tobacco in any form is harmful. Smokeless tobacco consumption is more injurious to health than smoking as chewing of tobacco directly affects the oral cavity and enters into the system.

Hansraj Singh, a paan shop owner on Infantry Road, said that he would not risk stocking gutka now. He added that he would stop selling all smokeless tobacco products in the wake of the ban. However, he said that many addicts had migrated to “desi paan” and other traditional paan because gutka is either not available or is being sold in black.

While many shop owners claim that they have exhausted their stock, some shops were indeed still found selling gutka, but with only a few brands with no fresh stocks coming in.

More time

M. Madan Gopal, Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare), said that it would take a couple of days for the department to enforce the gutka ban effectively.

“We have issued guidelines on enforcement and today, our officials have started raids. They have seized stocks from different parts of the State. It is just a beginning and we will soon crack down on the sale of gutka in all forms,” he said.

In some areas, the police have warned paan shop owners not to stock or sell gutka, shop owners told The Hindu .

Not that this has cured addicts of their cravings. “It is difficult now to procure gutka since most shops have run out of the stock. I need a particular brand, which is not available in the market, so I have shifted to another,” said Ram Gogio, who works on M.G. Road.

“Many people whom I know have shifted to ‘desi paan’,” he added.

This was confirmed by Kamal Singh who said that he had stopped buying gutka as it has become very expensive after the ban. “I have shifted to ‘desi paan’, which is cheaper.”

The ban has come as a relief for gutka consumers like Shabeer Ahmed, a pet shop owner in Shivajinagar, who has decided to quit altogether. “The government’s decision to ban gutka encouraged me to stop consuming it. I am sure many may have quit like me,” he said.

Price hike likely?

Meanwhile, paan shop owners believe that the prices of betel leaves, nuts and other ingredients are likely to go up in the light of gutka ban, following which many have started consuming “desi paan” and other regular paan. “Many paan shop owners are likely to increase the price of paan to offset their loss after the gutka ban. We are seeing an increase in the number of consumers of ‘desi paan’,” said Subash, a paan shop owner in Shivajinagar

HRAWI NOT HAPPY WITH CHANGES IN PROPERTY TAX STRUCTURE FOR STARRED HOTELS

The Hotel and Restaurant Association (Western India) (HRAWI) has termed the recent changes in the property tax system and the basis on which the capital value of starred hotels is calculated, a blow to the organised sector of the hotel industry. This was stated by the association in a letter it sent to Sitaram Kunte, municipal commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM); recently.

Starred hotels have to pay much higher taxes – amounting to 2.2 times for one- to four-star hotels and 2.5 times for five-star properties. HRAWI said, “This obviously means that all budget hotels, namely four-star hotels and below, would prefer to remain unstarred. This would be a big setback for the tourism industry and would retard the growth of tourist arrivals in Mumbai in the long-run.”

The association stated that starred hotels in the budget category earned less than 50 per cent of revenue per room in comparison to five-star hotels or properties with more stars, and therefore the burden would be unbearable. It added, “The taxation structure is so high that five-star hotels pay five times more tax than the amount paid by residential properties.”

The letter, signed by D S Advani, president, HRAWI, and vice-president, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI), further stated, “Any hotel built after 2013 has to pay 50 per cent more tax than a property built in or before 2010. This makes newly-constructed hotels unviable to operate due to the phenomenal tax fees that have to be paid.” 

Flavoured milk consumption will be double than white milk, says Tetra Pak

New research from Tetra Pak, the leading food processing and packaging company, forecasts that flavoured milk consumption will grow at more than double the rate of white milk globally between 2012 and 2015.

Consumers are increasingly turning to tasty, nutritious and conveniently packaged flavoured milk as an alternative to other beverages, creating opportunities for dairies to improve profitability, states the report.

Flavoured milk, the second most widely consumed Liquid Dairy Product (LDP) after white milk, is forecast to increase by a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.1% between 2012 and 2015, rising from 17.0 billion litre to 19.2 billion litre.

Developing countries will drive demand amidst a growing number of new flavours and products focussed on health. White milk is forecast to grow by 1.7% (CAGR) during the same period - from 208.5 billion litre in 2012 to 219.5 billion litre in 2015. Total LDP demand is set to grow by 2.4% from 280.3 billion litre to 301.3 billion litre during this period, according to the research.

“With white milk increasingly commoditised, flavoured milk offers dairies the opportunity to provide value not only to consumers but to their bottom line,” said Dennis Jönsson, president and CEO, Tetra Pak Group. “With the right flavours, portion sizing and formulation, flavoured milk can meet a huge range of health, nutritional and lifestyle needs.”

Flavoured milk consumption is set to rise 5.1% (CAGR) between 2012 and 2015 in the South Asian countries of India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Kandarp Singh, MD, Tetra Pak South Asia Markets, said, “The increase in flavoured milk consumption will be spurred by economic growth, urbanisation and rising prosperity. On-the-go lifestyles in India’s thriving cities have triggered increased consumption of ready-to-drink ambient milk, including flavoured milk. Children and teenagers consume the majority of packed flavoured milk in India, at home or in school, with parents opting to buy flavoured milk because they value its nutritional benefits and its taste appeal to young consumers. While consumption of white milk is prevalent in almost 100% of the households across India, consumption of flavoured milk still has plenty of room to grow.”

Tetra Pak has identified four drivers fuelling the rise in flavoured milk consumption:  First, the desire for nutritious and healthy food, which is prompting consumers, particularly in developing countries, to turn to nutrient-rich milk products. Second, urbanisation, rising prosperity and the pace of modern life, which has increased “on-the-go” consumption of ready-to-drink (RTD) flavoured milk in convenient portion packs. Third, consumers’ eagerness to try new food and drinks, with flavoured milk well-poised to meet that need. And fourth, consumers seeking “indulgent” eating and drinking experiences as a way of escaping the daily grind during times of economic uncertainty. “People don’t mind spending a bit more for small indulgences when times are tough and they are making bigger sacrifices,” said Libby Costin, global portfolio marketing director.

Though flavoured milk consumption is still low compared to other beverages, such as carbonated soft drinks, positive consumer perceptions about the health benefits of milk are creating opportunities to significantly increase flavoured milk consumption, according to Tetra Pak.

The growth rate for flavoured milk consumption is expected to be more than triple that of carbonated soft drinks in 2012-2015. During that period carbonated soft drinks are forecast to grow by 1.3% (CAGR) compared with an estimated of 4.1% (CAGR) for flavoured milk. Traditionally consumed by kids who enjoy its taste, Tetra Pak sees scope for growth beyond kids to teens and adults, and beyond taste to reach the “sweet spot” where taste and health meet. “For consumers unwilling to compromise on taste, health or convenience, flavoured milk is proving an increasingly popular alternative to other beverages,” said Jönsson.

While demand for flavoured milk is forecast to rise globally, demand in developing countries, particularly across Asia and Latin America, is set to outpace that of developed countries in North America and Europe, highlighting emerging economies as the growth engines of the dairy industry.

In fact, seven of the world’s top 10 flavoured milk markets are developing countries, according to the research. China is the world’s largest, followed by the United States and India. Increased demand for flavoured milk from 2009 to 2012 was mainly driven by four emerging countries: Brazil, China, India and Indonesia.

The trend is set to continue from 2012 to 2015. While developing countries accounted for 66% of flavoured milk consumption in 2012, this is forecast to rise to 69% by 2015. China, South Asia and Southeast Asia drink more than half the world’s flavoured milk. In fact, just six Asian countries – China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand – consume 47% of the world’s flavoured milk, according to the research.

Cartons have become the established packaging format for flavoured milk. They accounted for 62% of RTD flavoured milk packaging in 2012, up from 57% in 2009, and are expected to rise to above 64% in 2015, with portion packs expected to reach 81% of RTD flavoured milk consumption. 

Shops sell adulterated tea

Original tea powder dissolved in water (left)and water mixed with the fabric-dye tea powder (right).— PHOTO: P. GOUTHAM

Be cautious! The tea you consume from a few shops here may increase the risk of cancer in you as fabric dye is mixed with tea powder to give colour.

This was found when the health officials inspected tea shops and recovered the adulterated tea powder. “As per the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011, the colour in parts per million (PPM) should be 10 ppm in dry tea dusts, but the adulterated pack contains 1,950 ppm which is very dangerous to health,” T. Anuradha, District Designated Officer, Tamil Nadu Food Safety and Drug Administration Department, told The Hindu .

She added that just to give colour to the tea content these were widely mixed with tea powder and served to customers. “Consumers are used to ginger tea and lemon tea. Now in order to attract customers, they add the chemical substance to the tea and provide colour tea,” Ms. Anuradha added.

The officials said that after inspections were carried out in shops and adulterated tea dust were found, the traders started to adopt this new strategy.

The officials said that consumers could differentiate between good tea and the adulterated one. They said that normal tea dust changed its colour only in hot water while the fabric dye-mixed tea dust changes colour in cold water.

Water samples from closed units tested for quality

CHENNAI, May 25, 2013

For the past few days, microbiologists of the State government’s food analysis laboratory have been working round-the-clock, testing packaged drinking water samples.

The National Green Tribunal’s Southern Bench has given the laboratory time until Monday, to test samples taken by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) from 92 packaged drinking water units in and around the city.

These units were shut down 10 days ago, after TNPCB found they did not possess the required licences to operate.

The Bench took up a case about the quality of the water packaged at these units, following a report in The Hindu .

According to sources in TNPCB, around 80 samples have been given to the laboratory so far.

The samples are being tested for 30 chemical and microbiological parameters, which include the colour of the water, as well as content of nitrates, fluorides, zinc, sulphates, cyanide, sodium, lead, iron, borates and heavy metals. An aerobic microbial count will also be done.

The mere presence of cyanide could kill a person, arsenic causes arsenic poison and fluoride can lead to arthritis and mottling of teeth, say doctors.

Doctors also said the presence of salmonella in water could cause typhoid; e-coli would lead to diarrhoea, vibrio cholerae could cause cholera, and shigella would result in blood diarrhoea. These are among the eight microbiological parameters that are being tested.

“Everybody in the office has been working overtime. We have created teams so that there is no break in the testing process. We are positive that the results will be ready before the deadline,” said a source at the lab.

R.P. Ilangho, chest specialist, Apollo Breathe Easy Clinic, said that apart from infecting the digestive system, streptococci could also lead to sore throats, viral fever and rheumatic heart disease.

According to S. Elango, former State director of public health, estimates show that the packaged drinking water industry in the State has an annual turnover of Rs. 2,000 crore. But nobody monitors the industry.

“Ultimately, it is the State’s responsibility to govern these units. The government should take immediate action and set up an authority to monitor the industry. Otherwise, the government should ensure that safe, potable drinking water is supplied through the water authority to meet every resident’s needs. One person requires 3-5 litres of water for cooking and drinking daily,” he said.

Chemical and microbiological content analysed; results to be given to Tribunal

OUT OF THE CAN

PCB issues notices to packaged water units in districts

Julie Mariappan TNN

Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board is continuing its crackdown against unlicensed packaged drinking water units in the state, with showcause notices being issued to several units.
    The board has closed 91 units and ordered that power to 78 units in and around Chennai be disconnected, forcing manufacturers to stage a strike last week. “We have issued orders to units in districts like Madurai, Coimbatore, Namakkal, Krishnagiri and Thanjavur as well,” a PCB official said. Manufacturers under the Tamil Nadu Packaged Drinking Water and Manufacturers Association, moved the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal on Friday in this regard.
    Admitting the petition, the bench, comprising J Chokkalingam and technical member R Nagendran, posted the hearing to Monday. The tribunal, which had taken suo motu cognizance of the pollution in packaged drinking water units in March, is expected to decide the fate of the 91 closed units on that day. Results of the samples from the units are expected to be submitted to the bench by then.
    On Friday, the association’s counsel, advocate P S Raman, said it was a registered body and the members holding licences issued by the Bureau of Indian Standards were facing action from the TNPCB. “No unit in the state has board approval. The approval to operate is not given by the board, since the Madras high court has issued directions not to give licences to extract water for commercial use, until the Tamil Nadu Groundwater Act, 2003, is notified.”
    Manufacturers said they were not running polluting industries. “We are extracting groundwater through borewells and purifying it through reverse osmosis. Where is the pollution?” a member the association said.

Kellogg India investigating possible bug contamination

Cereal Maker Says It’s Confident Problem With ‘Nut Delight’ Is Isolated

Nandini Sen Gupta & Namrata Singh TNN

Chennai/Mumbai: MNC breakfast cereal maker Kellogg India is investigating a possible bug contamination in a particular variant of its muesli range, something which routinely impacts processed food products worth several billions of dollars in the country.
    According to sources with direct knowledge of the matter, the issue came to light following a complaint from a Mumbai-based MNC investment broking firm which served the cereal at their staff canteen for breakfast.
    When contacted by TOI, the company confirmed the complaint and said an investigation was in progress. “We received a few complaints indicating that one particular variant of muesli (Nut Delight) did not meet our strict quality requirements,” said a statement from the company’s official spokesperson. “As part of the standard global complaint handling procedure at the company, we checked our control samples and they were found to conform to our stringent quality parameters. We are confident that this quality concern is isolated, and we are investigating all potential causes including investigating the distribution chain. As part of this process, we have collected samples from across the supply chain,” the statement added.
    “As a responsible organization, we try and understand the root cause of all consumer complaints, irrespective of the source of such complaints whether in the supply chain or inappropriate storage in consumer homes, so that we can take adequate remedial measures to correct or educate,” the statement said. “At Kellogg India, quality of our foods is our number one priority and we will continue to work closely with all our partners to uphold our strict quality standards,” the statement further added.
    Bug contamination isn’t new in India’s fast-growing packaged food market which, experts say, is set to touch $30 billion by 2015. According to a report by the Associated Chambers of Commerce & Industry (Assocham), the industry will double itself in the next two-three years from $15 billion in 2012 on the back of a healthy 15-20% growth rate annually.
    Ten years ago, Cadbury India faced a similar problem of a few instances of worm contamination in its Dairy Milk chocolate bars and the company used a big ticket celebrity endorser — Amitabh Bachchan — and a high-decibel campaign for a new, improved packaging to drive home the point that it had investigated the issue and taken corrective measures. On occasions, contamination has also been found in soft drink bottles.
    In February this year, Kellogg had a US recall when it took back 36,000 boxes of its Special K Red Berries cereal for possible glass fragments. This is the first time that Kellogg has received complaints of this nature in India, say sources.