South Asia radius
20% of Indian food tests revealed adulterated or misbranded products
Around one-fifth of all food samples analysed by India’s food watchdog were found to be adulterated or misbranded over the last year.
According to central government figures, 12,077 out of 60,548 food samples were affected; and of these, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) lodged 1,989 criminal and 7,241 civil cases, health minister JP Nadda informed parliament.
"The FSSAI has ordered the recall of food products and/or withdrawn provisional no-objection certificates issued in respect of various food products manufactured by multinational companies who violated the provisions of the FSS Act or Regulations,” the minister said in a written reply.
Nestlé’s Maggi noodles featured on the list of products that had their no-objection certificates taken from them after state inspectors claimed to find elevated traces of lead and monosodium glutamate in samples of the snack.
Monster, Cloud 9 and Tzinga energy drinks, as well as Akoaroma flavoured water, were also named by the minister has having been prevented for sale.
Government rules out ceding to US labelling request
India will not change its unpopular packaging and labelling requirements even in the face of pressure from the United States.
India’s regulations dictate that maximum retail price and official food category must be printed directly on packaging, rather than the details being added on a sticker that can be placed on arrival in India, as US officials had requested.
In a meeting with the deputy US trade representative, India’s commerce secretary said the labelling requirements were Codex-compliant and applicable to all countries without discrimination.
A government official told Livemint: “We have asked [the US] to let us know where we are not Codex-compliant. Today, when we export to the US, it requires that we print the MRP in dollars. Will they accept if we print the MRP in euro?”
Nestlé proposes new India head in wake of Maggi affair
Etienne Benet, Nestlé India’s beleaguered managing director at the time of the Maggi noodles affair earlier this year, has returned to head office in Switzerland.
He will likely be replaced by Suresh Narayanan, who has been nominated for the role by Nestlé SA. Until his appointment is approved, Narayanan will occupy the post as a designate.
An Indian, Narayanan joined Nestlé India in 1999 before transferring to other offices, including posts in Southeast Asia and Northeast Africa. He is currently the chairman and chief executive of Nestlé Philippines.
Snacking Vadodara housewives at massive risk of diabetes than those who work
Indian housewives in a Gujarat city are at much higher risk of of contracting so-called lifestyle diseases, research has found.
Statistically, three-quarters of women in Vadodara who stay at home will suffer from obesity and heart conditions compared to 15% of working women.
The study, which surveyed women aged 30-35 highlighted the common housewives’ diet of fried snacks as being behind the heightened risk.
"Lifestyle and daily habits of an urban stay-at-home mother is such that she tends to have more food. They are among those who have a hearty four-meals-a-day diet along with tit bits throughout the day,” the study said.
Most consumed food that is heavy on deep-fried farsaan—or snacks—that are integral to Gujarati cuisine.
It found the most popular daytime foods consumed by housewives in Vadodara were biscuits, puffed rice, bhakhri, chevda and thepla.
“This indicates that the people consume around 250 to 300 kilo calories from these snacks alone daily," the study added.
FSSAI must hurry up with nutraceutical regulations
India, which currently has no standards for the approval or monitoring of nutraceuticals, herbals and functional food, has been urged to move in this direction quickly.
A task force was set up in 2013 to discuss standards from which specific requirements for labelling and composition will be set out.
Assocham, one of India’s powerful chambers of commerce associations, called on FSSAI, India’s food regulator, to complete the process quickly.
"Nutraceuticals are gaining popularity but its growth is restrained by lack of a solid regulatory framework which is crucial for medial credibility," Assocham’s BK Rao said.
FSSAI should come up with proper guidelines for manufacturing and marketing of nutraceuticals, herbal and functional foods, Assocham has recommended in a policy paper.
The draft nutraceuticals regulation is reportedly being vetted by the legal department.
Assocham estimates that India’s nutraceuticals market will grow to US$12.2bn over the next five years, though it also claims that 60-70% of supplements are fake or unregistered.
Its paper also suggested the government to introduce various functional foods and beverages in Midday Meal schemes to address child malnutrition.
TB, lifestyle diseases on the rise in Mumbai
While tuberculosis is making an unwelcome return as one of Mumbai’s biggest killers, it is now joined by hypertension and diabetes as lifestyle diseases take their toll on India’s commercial hub.
Of the 90,552 deaths in the city in 2014-15, 6,496 were due to tuberculosis, while 5,055 were associated with hypertension and 2,472 caused by diabetes. The latter corresponded to a 19% increase over the previous year.
Explaining the results by the Praja Foundation NGO, Nitai Mehta said: "The burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases is on a rise.”
Government launches street food safety initiative
India’s food distribution minister has launched a grass-roots movement that the government hopes will promote awareness among street vendors about the risks caused by unhygienic cooking practices.
Ram Vilas Paswan, on launching the Surakshit Khadya Abhiyan, a pan-India campaign for safe food, said more people would be safeguarded by his ministry’s targeting of working-class vendors.
He said there was currently a pressing need by society to promote awareness of basic practices of hygiene, sanitation and safety on the food vendors sell.
Food safety was an inseparable part of food security, Paswan said, adding that food-borne disease outbreaks, which can only be prevented by good hygienic, could have severe health consequences.