Page 4 - Food Safety

FSSAI directs caterers of airline industry to comply with food safety rules

Food regulator FSSAI has asked airlines and flight caterers to comply with its food safety regulations and provide detailed information about items served to passengers through proper labelling. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) convened a meeting with leading flight caterers and airlines on January 16 to evaluate and enhance the existing food safety protocols within the airline catering industry, the regulator said in a statement on Wednesday. The objective of the meeting was to identify areas requiring improvement and reinforce the commitment to providing passengers with safe and high-quality inflight meals. "Acknowledging a common concern regarding the lack of readily available information for passengers regarding inflight food, the CEO, FSSAI directed all flight caterers and airlines to strictly comply with sub-regulation 5(10) (f) and 8 (4) of the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020," the statement said. This directive aim

FSSAI issues show cause notice to IndiGo for serving 'unsafe food'

Food safety regulator FSSAI has issued a show cause notice to the country's largest airline IndiGo for serving unsafe food to a passenger, days after a worm was found in a sandwich served onboard a flight. On Wednesday, the airline said it has received the show cause notice and would respond as per protocol. The incident happened onboard flight 6E 6107 from Delhi to Mumbai on December 29. The airline had apologised after the passenger shared a video on social media. On January 2, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) asked the airline to show cause why its licence should not be considered for suspension or cancellation and action be initiated as per Food Safety & Standards (FSS) Act for serving unsafe food to a passenger on the flight, according to the show cause notice. The airline has been given seven days to respond to the notice. An IndiGo spokesperson said the airline is in receipt of a "show cause notice from FSSAI with regard to a food item served on ...

India elected executive committee member of UN's food standard-setting body

India has been unanimously elected as a member representing the Asian region in the executive committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), the food safety and quality standard-setting body created by the UN, at its meeting in Rome. The executive committee is an important arm of the CAC and the member countries have a considerable interest in getting its membership. In this capacity, India would not only get an opportunity to contribute substantially in the international standard setting process for different food product categories but will also be involved in the decision-making process, the health ministry said in a statement. The executive committee supports in the management of the commission's programme of standards development by conducting a "critical review" of proposals to undertake work and monitors the progress of standards development. The committee comprises the chair, three vice chairs, six regional coordinators and seven elected representatives from various .

Int'l food safety body endorses India's proposal on standards for millets

India's proposal for development of global standards for millets has been endorsed by members of a leading international food safety and quality standard-setting body created by the UN, the Union health ministry said on Friday. The Codex Alimentarious Commission (CAC) also praised India's standards on millets during its 46th session held in Rome, Italy, it said. India has framed a comprehensive group standard for 15 types of millets specifying eight quality parameters, which received resounding applause at the international meet, the ministry said. The CAC, an international food safety and quality standard-setting body created by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations with 188 member countries, currently has standards for sorghum and pearl millet. India put forward a proposal for the development of global standards for millets, particularly for finger millet, barnyard millet, kodo millet, proso millet and little mil

No appetite for food safety

States must enhance safety mechanisms

US, EU criticise India's rice export ban, request immediate resumption

Representatives from Japan, Australia, Brazil, the EU, the UK, and the US raised concerns over the impact of the ban on the global food market

FSSAI initiates prosecution against FBOs found violating food safety laws

According to the authorities, the prosecution initiated against the FBOs covers different violations committed, including carrying out a food business without a valid license and manufacturing

G20: India brings food safety net programs to forefront more effectively

India on Wednesday said it has brought food safety net programs to the forefront even more effectively under its G20 Presidency and that the agriculture working group has come up with a "historic consensus" on two aspects including millets. A top official of the Union Agriculture Ministry said it is historic because ever since agriculture working group was formed, food security and nutrition has always been a key priority agenda, but never ever agriculture ministers have come up with a standalone kind of declaration over and above the ministerial communique. "This is really a historic moment where agriculture ministers have come up together to deliberate on the issue of food security and nutrition. "It has come up with seven principles and agreed to champion these principles," Smita Sirohi, Joint Secretary in charge of G20-related matters in the Ministry of Agriculture, told PTI just ahead of the September 9-10 Summit here in Delhi. She said the historic consensus on two aspects ..

Microwaving food containers can expose you to toxic nanoplastics: Study

Microwaving plastic food containers can release billions of small toxic plastic particles, according to a study. The researchers found that microwaving plastic baby food containers released over two billion nanoplastics and four million microplastics for every square centimeter of container in some cases. The study, published recently in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, also found that three-quarters of cultured embryonic kidney cells had died after two days of being introduced to those same particles. "It is really important to know how many micro- and nanoplastics we are taking in," said Kazi Albab Hussain, the study's lead author and a doctoral student at the University of NebraskaLincoln, US. "Many studies, including ours, are demonstrating that the toxicity of micro- and nanoplastics is highly linked to the level of exposure, Hussain added. The team conducted experiments with two baby food containers made from polypropylene and a reusable pouch made of ...

Farmers must be at centre stage while framing food safety norms: Tomar

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Thursday asked global food regulators to keep farmers at centre stage while framing food safety regulations and ensure they get the right price for their produce. Addressing the Global Food Regulators Summit 2023 here, Tomar said food is a basic right for every person and therefore, it is important to ensure the availability of food and global food safety. The summit is being organised by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Health Ministry. The minister highlighted that the Indian government has taken many steps to boost production and productivity in the agriculture sector, and the country is a surplus state in foodgrain production. India also strives to fulfil the requirement of global food demand, Tomar said. He also emphasised that regulations on processing, packaging and labelling of food products must ensure food safety and said the food regulator FSSAI is doing a great job in this aspect. The

Need for universal, country-specific food safety standards: Mandaviya

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Thursday said there is a need to frame universal food safety standards as well as country-specific standards after detailed discussions at global level to tackle the challenges of food contamination, lifestyle diseases and imbalance in nutrition intake. The minister was speaking after inaugurating Global Food Regulators Summit 2023 being organised in the national capital for the first time as a G20 event by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). The two-day summit serves as a platform for food regulators from over 40 countries to collaborate and work together. Addressing the event, Mandaviya underscored that there is a need for a global platform for detailed discussions and deliberations on food safety, similar on the lines of World Health Assembly, the decision-making body of WHO. He said an annual meet to discuss standards by United Nations' food standards body, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, is not enough. "The way .

Summit will focus on crucial aspect of food safety: Health minister

Food Regulators from over 40 countries will participate along with representatives from 30 International Organisations and 25 International Research Institutes/Universities

Health ministry unveils food safety index, Kerala secures top ranking

Among the larger states, Kerala secured the top ranking, followed by Punjab and Tamil Nadu Among the smaller states, Goa emerged as the leader on food safety index

Nagaland seeks 5 basic food laboratories with adequate manpower from Centre

Nagaland Commissioner and Secretary for Health and Family, Y Kikheto Sema, on Wednesday said that several imported food products in the state do not have manufacturing and expiry tags. Pointing out that Nagaland is not a dustbin for adulterated and sub-standard products, Sema said to provide safe food to people, the state government has requested the Central government to set up five basic food laboratories and Modified Food Safety on Wheels (MFSW) with adequate manpower. Currently, the state has only one food safety lab in Kohima and three MFSWs. Once we are equipped properly, we will verify imported as well locally produced food items and ban the selling of any adulterated food, the official said. Stressing the importance of eating quality food, Sema suggested the necessity of setting up proper markets for vegetable and fruit vendors. Though we do not eat clothes and cars, it is sold in air-conditioned markets but the vegetables and fruits that we eat are being sold on the stree

Delhi HC orders checks at Tihar Jail to ensure proper food for inmates

The Delhi High Court on Thursday formed a committee to conduct surprise checks at Tihar Jail to gather information on the food being served to inmates and the level of hygiene at the prison. The court was hearing a plea by two inmates, including Geeta Arora alias Sonu Punjaban, seeking its intervention to ensure proper food is provided to them and hygiene is maintained in cooking area and canteen. The court constituted a three-member committee and asked it to conduct at least three surprise checks at the high-security prison and submit a report to it. "It would be appropriate to direct a surprise inspection so that information can be gathered regarding the nature of food provided to inmates, nature of food items made available in the jail canteen and hygiene level maintained in the cooking area and canteen," Justice Prathiba M Singh said. The Tihar Jail counsel submitted to the court that the jail-visiting judge recently found that the rules were being followed. The judge, however

Centre revises nutritional standards for kids' food safety schemes

The amendment has been done on the recommendations of an inter-ministerial committee

FSSAI specifies comprehensive group standard for millets from September

FSSAI has specified a comprehensive group standard for millets vide Food Safety and Standards, Second Amendment Regulations, 2023 and this will be enforced from September 1 onwards

Food Safety Dept to undergo performance audits district-wise in Kerala

The Food Safety Department would undergo a performance audit district-wise in the state to evaluate its enforcement activities, the Kerala government has said. As the number of people eating from outside is increasing, food safety cannot be compromised and therefore, the department should strengthen its enforcement activities, Health Minister Veena George said. Speaking at a meeting of the Assistant Commissioners of the Food Safety Department, the minister also said that the government would not allow corruption in the department as it was a bigger offense than adulteration of food. She said that food safety officials should take action in accordance with law, but not wrong ones. Strict action would be taken against food safety officials who are corrupt, the minister added, according to the release. George said that performance audits would be carried out on a district basis in the Food Safety Department and the districts would be ranked based on the outcome. Performance of all .

FAO: Rising prices, population, food insecurity add to ranks of hungry

Growing numbers of people in Asia lack enough to eat as food insecurity rises with higher prices and worsening poverty, according to a report released Tuesday by the Food and Agricultural Organisation and other United Nations agencies. Nearly a half-billion people, more than eight in 10 of them in South Asia, were undernourished in 2021 and more than 1 billion faced moderate to severe food insecurity, the report said. For the world, the prevalence of food insecurity rose to more than 29 per cent in 2021 from 21 per cent in 2014. The COVID-19 pandemic was a huge setback, causing mass job losses and disruptions, and the war in Ukraine has pushed up prices for food, energy and fertiliser, putting an adequate diet out of the reach of many millions, it said. The report is the fifth annual stocktaking on food insecurity and hunger by UN agencies including the FAO, UNICEF, World Health Organisation and World Food Programme. Over those years, progress toward alleviating hunger and ...

Ex-ITDC MD G Kamala Vardhana Rao takes charge as CEO of FSSAI

Rao, a 1990 batch IAS officer from Kerala cadre, was previously the managing director of the Indian Tourism Development Corporation